On Wednesday evening, a Shiv Sena march to Marine Drive in Kochi turned into a moral policing exercise, where several members chased youngsters away. Shiv Sena members proceed to threaten youngsters and beat them up with canes. The activists then abused and chased away visually upset boys and girls as people watched in horror. The banner of march proclaimed that the Shiv Sena would put an end to ‘romance under umbrella’ on Marine Drive.
Even as cameras were rolling, Kerala Police at the spot were seen refusing to act.It was only after couples were thrashed that the police intervened and arrested five members of the shiv sena. Shiv Sena had announced the march in advance and the state intelligence had notified the police.