A balloon bearing a pro-Pakistan message and flag has sparked controversy in Kochi, Kerala. The incident came to light when a local resident purchased balloons for his child's birthday from a shop in Tripunithura, Kochi. Upon returning home, the man was shocked to discover that one of the balloons had "I love Pakistan" written on it, along with an image of the Pakistani flag.
Disturbed by the discovery, the resident promptly reported the matter to the police. The Tripunithura Hill Palace police immediately launched an investigation but were unable to locate any other balloons or products in the shop with similar controversial messages. Nevertheless, the police registered a case under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with promoting enmity, and began probing the origin of the balloon.
According to Ananda Babu, the inspector at Tripunithura Hill Palace Police Station, the shopkeeper claimed that he had purchased the balloons from a wholesale store located in Broadway, Kochi. The police also discovered that some of the other balloons in the shop had messages written in foreign languages, but nothing else that raised immediate concern, acccording to a report on Deccan Herald.
Inspector Babu stated that there was no evidence to suggest any malicious intent by the shopkeeper, and as a result, he has not been arraigned in the case at this stage.
The incident, however, led to protests by Sangh Parivar members, who organized a march from Azad Junction in Tripunithura. The march, inaugurated by RSS Nagar Karyavah Ragesh, called for the arrest of those responsible for the distribution of the controversial balloon, as per the report.
The situation has raised concerns in the local community and the police are continuing their investigation to trace the source of the balloon and determine whether there was any deliberate attempt to provoke unrest.