The Kerala Police have registered two separate cases against Hindu Aikya Vedi Kerala state president KP Sasikala, The News Minute reported on Monday. Sasikala, who is known for vitriolic speeches, had said that secular writers would meet the same fate as murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh if they did not pray.

The Paravur police station booked the right-wing leader for promoting enmity based on a complaint filed about her controversial speech at a meeting in North Paravur in Ernakulam district on September 8. The complaint had been filed by Congress MLA VD Satheesan. Sasikala had claimed the Karnataka Congress was desperately relying on Lankesh’s murder to garner support and retain power in the upcoming Assembly election.

Her comments were considered to be a threat to secular writers. “If you want to live longer, offer a ‘Mrithyunjaya’ Puja [Puja for long life] at a temple near to you,” she had said.

Case from 2006

The Kozhikode Kasaba police have also booked a case against Sasikala for promoting enmity between groups with her speech in 2006 at Muthalakkulam in Kozhikode. In 2016, C Shukur had filed a complaint against comments she had made in 2006. The petitioner had accused her of making an speech against Muslims in the aftermath of the 2003 communal attack at Marad beach near Kozhikode.

Nine people lost their lives in the attack, which is considered to be the worst case of communal violence in the state, according to The News Minute.

On September 9, 18 writers, rationalists and progressive thinkers – playwright Girish Karnad, writer KS Bhagwan, Veerabhadra Chennamalla Swami of Nidumamidi Mutt, Kum Veerabhadrappa, Baragur Ramachandrappa, Patil Puttappa and Chennaveera Kanavi, among others – were given police protection by the Karnataka government based on an advisory from the Intelligence Department.