The Bengaluru police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for participating in a protest in Bengaluru over the controversial altercation between a shopkeeper and a group of men for allegedly playing the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ during ‘Azaan’ time.
As many as 41 people are named in the FIR filed by the Halasuru Gate police, including BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya and PC Mohan, as well as Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, all of whom have been nominated by the saffron party to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
The leaders have been booked under sections 143, 149, 188, 283, 290 and 268, news agency ANI reported.
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The incident occurred on Sunday when a group of men thrashed a shopkeeper for playing the Hindu devotional bhajan "at a high volume" during ‘Azaan’ time. Cops have arrested three people in connection with the assault. A video of the incident was shared widely on social media, which triggered outrage among the public and a political slugfest as well.
People thronged the streets to protest the issue on Tuesday, waving saffron flags and raising “Jai Shree Ram” slogans. BJP leaders Karandlaje and Surya also joined the protest along with several others in Bengaluru's Siddanna Layout, and both were detained later by the police.
{{/usCountry}}People thronged the streets to protest the issue on Tuesday, waving saffron flags and raising “Jai Shree Ram” slogans. BJP leaders Karandlaje and Surya also joined the protest along with several others in Bengaluru's Siddanna Layout, and both were detained later by the police.
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The BJP also strongly condemned the incident and accused the ruling Congress government in the state of appeasement.
Tejaswi Surya attacked the Siddaramaiah-led government and said, "The government speaks of building brand Bengaluru. I want to ask the CM and the Deputy CM. You speak of building brand Bengaluru. How can you do so with this kind of a law and order situation? What happened to Mukesh yesterday could happen to any person sitting and going to his business honestly in a calm, unprovoked manner anywhere in the city. Two weeks ago there was a bomb blast. A week before that there were Pakistan Zindabad slogans. And today you have these unprovoked attacks on shopkeepers. What message is this government trying to give?" Surya said.
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"Why is it that whenever the Congress party comes to power, elements like these who want to create disturbance and disharmony in society, why do they feel emboldened? And why is it that cabinet ministers like Dinesh Gundu Rao come in the defense of the accused and do not stand up for the victim's justice?" He added.
(With inputs from ANI)