Nair Service Society VP, several others booked for protest march in Kerala over Assembly Speaker's remarks

The Kerala police on Thursday lodged a case against thousands of members of NSS, an influential Nair community organisation, and its Vice President for allegedly gathering unlawfully before a temple here in protest against Speaker A N Shamseer's remarks about a Hindu deity.

The case was lodged at Cantonment police station against Nair Service Society (NSS) VP Sangeeth Kumar and thousand other identifiable persons of the organisation for the offences of unlawful assembly, rioting and obstructing public way under the IPC and various provisions of the Kerala Police Act.

The action was taken on its own by the police which said in the FIR that members of NSS unlawfully gathered outside the Ganapathi temple at Palayam here on Wednesday evening and without any permission set up mikes and speakers and chanted slogans.

Also read | Kerala Speaker's remarks on Hindu deity intended to divert attention from issues plaguing state: Congress

The police also said that the protestors blocked the right of way of vehicular traffic and pedestrians and despite directions from the officers at the site to disperse from there, they did not comply with it.

The agitators carried out a 'namajapa' procession from Palayam to the Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple a few kilometers away.

Thousands of devotees had participated in the namajapa processions organised by the NSS in Thiruvananthapuram and other parts of the state on Wednesday evening.

Prior to that a large number of Hindu devotees and members of the NSS offered prayers at Lord Ganesha temples across Kerala as a mark of protest against Shamseer's remarks about the Hindu deity.

The special prayers and 'namajapa' (chanting of mantras) processions were held in various districts as the NSS urged the community members to observe 'Save the Faith Day' on August 2, against the Speaker's comments.