Kerala Police arrested Popular Front of India local leader Usman Hameed over his Facebook post criticising Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Kerala Police on Thursday.
Hameed, a 41-year-old from Kattappana in Idukki is the Idukki district committee member of the Popular Front of India.
He was charged under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between groups on the grounds of religion) and sent to Sub Jail Peermade for 14 days, Kattappana Police Station SHO told Maktoob.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, 4 January, Hameed criticised RSS and other Hindutva groups for inciting riots in the state and Kerala Police’s alleged inaction against those saffron groups. He also shared a news story on social media which was about the state government intelligence informing that the RSS is making headway for statewide riots.
In the Facebook post, Hameed also wrote that if the law and order maintaining agency in the state will not act properly against RSS rallies like “the Kerala police earlier did”, Muslims have to defend themselves.
According to Intelligence, RSS was planning to stage a show of strength at various centers that include the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) strongholds on 5 January. The RSS plan for conducting displays across 142 centers in Kerala, was hatched in secret and the exact venues, participants, and leaders too were decided for, said Intelligence.
Condemning the arrest, the Popular Front of India state committee alleged that the arrest is a part of Kerala Police’s Hindutva agenda.
