Opposition MP Ketan Lal says he will await the outcome of the Police investigation launched against him for allegedly inciting communal antagonism.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Lal says he believes the Assistant Minister misrepresented what he had posted on his official Facebook page.
He says the post in question was simply a newspaper article he shared, in which he quoted the content exactly as it was published.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Shalen Kumar confirms that they have filed a Police report against Lal.
He strongly condemned the post, saying it recklessly referenced the Great Council of Chiefs, the Kai Viti, and the KVT crime gang.
Kumar says the post was a calculated, irresponsible and divisive act, adding that such behaviour undermines national unity and threatens the multi-ethnic harmony the Government is working to uphold.
He says Lal’s use of the term Kai Viti in a context linked to criminality is deeply offensive and an attempt to inflame racial tensions.
Kumar says he will not condone any statement that targets the i-Taukei community, just as he would not tolerate similar remarks directed at Fijians of Indian descent or any other group.
He adds that Lal’s rhetoric is not merely political, but potentially criminal, and says Fiji must put an end to the political exploitation of race.
Police have confirmed that an investigation is now underway.
