Christmas is for Christians: Kerala man assaults Hindu, Muslim minors for singing carols

One of the teenagers alleged that the man was an RSS member.

news Crime

A Kerala man has been booked for allegedly assaulting a group of minors who were part of a Christmas Carol group in Kollam district.

The group of 13 teenagers - all aged between 14 and 16 years- from Chadayamangalam in the city, had on Friday night visited the house of Jayakumar to sing carols.

16-year-old Abdullah, one of the minors told The News Minute that Jayakumar questioned them what religion they belonged to. When told that they belonged to Hindu and Muslim families, Jayakumar demanded to know why a non-Christian group was out singing Christmas carols.

"We reached his house around 8.30 pm and after we sang carols and played drums, Jayakumar asked us to which religion we belong to. There were no Christians in the group and he shouted at us saying that Christmas should be celebrated only by Christians and not people from other religions. We then left his house," Abdullah said.

However, when the team, part of Yuva Arts Club in the area, moved to a different house, Jayakumar and a few of his relatives barged into the compound and allegedly started beating the group.

"They asked us to sing Hindu devotional songs and we refused to do so. They did not have any weapons then, but they forcefully pulled at our long beards and kicked us on our chests when some of us fell down. They are all part of RSS, I have seen them organising Shakha meetings here," Abdullah alleged.

A few of the minors, who had by then managed to sneak out, arranged for a car for the other members to be taken to hospital. The attack, however, did not stop, Abdullah alleges.

"They stopped our car when we were trying to go to the hospital. At that time, they had some sticks in their hands, but we managed to drive past them," Abdullah alleges.

The group then filed a police complaint, before getting medical help.

Chadayamangalam police have registered a case against Jayakumar and 10 others for rioting and under the Juvenile Justice Act.

"We have registered a case under IPC Section 143, 147, 341, 153, 427, 323 and Section 75 of JJ Act. Investigation is on and they are yet to be taken into custody for questioning. After that, we will also record the statements of the minors," Chadayamangalam SI Saju said.