Thiruvananthapuram, 29 July (H.S.): The City Cyber Police have registered a criminal case against RSS ideologue and political commentator T.G. Mohandas over alleged hate speech in videos posted on his YouTube channel, in which he is accused of calling for violence against students participating in a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), Mohandas allegedly made inflammatory remarks in videos uploaded on July 24 and July 25, stating that students staging a peaceful protest should be shot dead after being asked to disperse three times. He is also alleged to have suggested that curfew be imposed within a four-kilometre radius of the protest venue and that several protesters should be killed or dismembered, with their bodies taken to hospitals.

Police have registered the case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act and the Kerala Police Act. The charges relate to promoting enmity, cyber offences and acts allegedly capable of disturbing public peace and public order. Investigators contend that the statements were made with the intention and knowledge of inciting unrest and creating fear among the public.

The FIR further states that the videos contained derogatory remarks against the protesters and were intended to intimidate those participating in the demonstration while undermining public tranquillity.

The case was registered following a complaint filed by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) before the Kerala Home Minister and the Director General of Police. In its complaint, the SFI argued that the remarks went beyond the scope of political commentary and amounted to incitement to violence, threatened the democratic right to peaceful protest and endangered public safety.

Meanwhile, the RSS has distanced itself from Mohandas' remarks. RSS functionary K.B. Sreekumar publicly condemned the statements, clarifying that they reflected Mohandas' personal views and not the organisation's official position.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman