With a lower court asking for a case to be registered against former state Minister and a legislator K.T. Jaleel for his ‘anti-national’ Facebook post on Kashmir, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has some tough decisions to make.

Early this month, Jaleel while on a visit to Kashmir took to social media and mentioned Kashmir as ‘India Occupied Kashmir’, and Pakistan occupied Kashmir as ‘Azad Kashmir’. These remarks created a hornet’s nest, with his political adversaries attacking him.

Following a huge backlash, even though he tried to resist initially, he withdrew the post and thought things were over with this.

But, two people approached different police stations in the state for a case to be registered, but were turned down.

However one of the complainants, an RSS leader in Pathanamthitta district, approached a lower court in Thiruvalla, which directed the local police to register a case against Jaleel.

The charges that have been put on Jaleel include 153 (B) and also Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 (2) and both these cases are non-bailable charges.

All eyes are now on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the Home Minister as not long ago, former seven-time legislator P.C. George was arrested.

George, who does not have the best of relations with Vijayan, was arrested twice, but the court gave him instant bail.

Jaleel has all along been a strong confidant of Vijayan. And, all eyes are on Vijayan, whether he gives the nod to the police to go ahead with their duties.

Jaleel has been contesting as an independent candidate with CPI-M backing.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed)