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Karnataka police detain dry chilli trader from Haveri for ‘Pak Zindabad’ slogans
Based on a voice sample, the Karnataka police detained a man from Haveri over “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans raised at the Vidhana Soudha.
The Karnataka police on Thursday detained a man from the state's Haveri district in connection with the controversial “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans raised on Tuesday night at the Vidhana Soudha. The man, identity unknown, is said to be from the Byadagi town of the district. He is a dry chilli trader and had come to the legislative building to celebrate Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain's victory in the Rajya Sabha election, news agency PTI reported.
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Cops questioned as many as seven people over the sloganeering after the Vidhana Soudha police filed a suo moto case. They suspected the chilli trader to have raised the “anti-national” slogans based on a voice sample after a video of the incident was shared widely on social media, the agency said. He is being interrogated in Bengaluru currently.
The incident also sparked a political slugfest between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with saffron party leaders also filing a police complaint.
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"This act of anti-national slogans from Naseer Hussain's supporters need to be thoroughly probed by the NIA/IB, national agencies and culprits to be booked under the law and need to be punished. This government has failed utterly to comply with the Law and Order situation and to uphold the Constitutional values," A delegation led by Leader of Opposition (LoP), R Ashoka, said.
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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also spoke on the issue and assured strict action against the perpetrators. "The government has taken the issue seriously. We need not learn patriotism from you. In accordance with law seven people have been subjected to inquiry and their statements have been recorded. Investigation is going on. FIR was registered suo moto. If the government was not serious we would not have booked a suo moto case," He said.
(With PTI inputs)
