Youngsters at Kochi chased away with canes: Shiv Sena desperately needs a new job

No, it isn’t serial rapists or murderers that the Sena is fighting against, but young couples.

news Moral Policing

Members of Shiv Sena in Kerala appear to have made their counterparts in other states proud.

The Shiv Sena seems to have taken the burden of ‘cleansing society’ of immoral elements upon itself.

No, it isn’t serial rapists or murderers that the Sena is fighting against, but young couples.

On Wednesday evening, a Shiv Sena march to Marine Drive in Kochi turned into a moral policing exercise, where several members chased youngsters away.

In a video footage of the incident, the members can be seen proceeding with their march, when they spot a young (and unmarried) couple spending time at the promenade.

Shouting at them, the members can be seen blocking the young man. They proceed to threaten him and beat him up with a cane. One leader who led the march can be heard shouting: "Oodada, oodada" (Run, run). As the young man runs for his life, the Shiv Sena members then go back to the woman and shout at her. Some other women can be seen walking away.

Police personnel were mute spectators to the act, doing little to stop the illegal activity. However, when The News Minute contacted the Sub-Inspector at Central Police Station, he claimed that the Shiv Sena members had fled the scene by the time police reached the spot.

He added that the members hadn't received permission to hold the protest march in the first place.

"We got information that Shiv Sena members were threatening young couples at Marine Drive. But by the time we reached, they were gone. Nobody has raised a complaint so far. However, we will file cases against the members for taking the law into their own hands. For one, they did not seek our permission to hold the march, and two, there is police force to enforce law and order," the SI said.

Cases will be filed against the Shiv Sena members for unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation, the SI added.