A major political controversy arose after an audio message from the owner of a private school in Thrissur, Kerala, became public. Dr. Raju Davis, owner of 'Dr. Raju Davis International School' (Mala, Thrissur), sent a message to the school's group chat on WhatsApp, stating that students who did not participate in the celebration of Independence Day (August 15) should leave for Pakistan.
Following the viral spread of this audio and the escalation of the situation, student organizations began mass protests. As a result, the school was forced to issue an explanation and apologize for its statement.
The school owner, Dr. Raju Davis, sent a displeased voice message to parents and students in the group chat after the Independence Day celebration. He stated that he spent one lakh rupees organizing bus routes to bring children to school for Independence Day. He added that he could have saved this money but decided not to do so so that the children would understand the significance of August 15.
He continued, noting that more than half of the parents had not brought their children to school. Davis declared that he would not allow these children to attend classes the next day. He demanded that the parents meet with him personally and provide an explanation, calling such behavior 'very wrong' and stating that such people should move to another country, specifically Pakistan, as they, in his opinion, have no right to live in this country.
When this voice message began to spread rapidly, and parents and local residents protested, Raju Davis backed down and released another audio message. He explained that his statement had been misinterpreted, and that he did not mean a country of a specific religion. He clarified that he was not talking about moving to Sudan, Bangladesh, or Arab countries. Davis mentioned Pakistan because Pakistan has been a hostile country to their nation since 1947. After further deterioration of the situation, he publicly apologized for his words.
The school owner's statement led to increased political tension in Kerala. Student organizations from the Congress (KSU) and the left-wing radical student organization (SFI) began active protests against the school owner. KSU activists staged a demonstration near Dr. Raju Davis's house and blocked the main road. Police arriving detained the KSU activists who were blocking the road and restored order.