THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In all, 385 criminal cases have been registered so far against individuals for instigating the ‘WhatsApp hartal’ aimed at creating a communal divide in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Assembly on Monday. As many as 1,595 people have been arrested in connection with the case, he said.
The Chief Minister also admitted initially, attempts to manipulate the anger and protest at the Kathua rape and murder could not be ‘’understood’’ as such.The investigation has revealed five of the accused in crime no. 191/2018 registered at the Manjeri police station were involved in the conspiracy and spread the message via social media. Accused no. 9 to 13 have been revealed as the masterminds behind the hartal. Amarnath Byju of Kollam, accused no. 9, was an office-bearer and active member of the RSS. Accused no. 10 Sudheesh of Thiruvananthapuram is an RSS supporter while Akhil of Thiruvananthapuram, accused no. 11, was an ABVP activist during his student days, the Chief Minister said.
The hartal on April 16, called by a few individuals via social media platforms ostensibly in protest against the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl, however, had erupted into violence. ‘’It remains a fact that the attempt to divert the anger and protest at the Jammu incident in a different way could not be understood as such,’’ he said. People who instigated the hartal were Sangh Parivar activists. Their intention was to push the state into chaos.
‘’A section fell into the trap. It would not have stopped there. It would have entered the next phase, but did not. The police caught them. The police took the correct action,’’ he said.