BJP Leaders Stage Protest in Bengaluru Against Beating of Hindu boy for Playing Hanuman Chalisa

A tense situation was created today in Bengaluru's Nagarapete for some time due to the protest held by BJP leaders and Hindu activists regarding the case of assaulting a young man for listening to bhajan and Hanuman Chalisa during Azaan Ramzaan time in his mobile shop on Sunday. The activists were demanding justice for the shopkeeper Mukesh. The police registered an FIR under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (provocation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and arrested the five accused. The scene of the attack captured on the CCTV cameras has gone viral on social media and has sparked outrage. This case took a political turn and BJP MPs like Tejaswi Surya, PC Mohan, and leaders and activists went to the scene and met Mukesh and gave him courage. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya also participated in the protest and was detained shortly. Activists of Hindu organizations had come to the place to protest against the arrest of youths. Protestors waved saffron flags and raised “Jai Shree Ram” slogans.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also spoke on the incident earlier, writing on social media that Hindus are being disregarded as “third class citizens” in Congress' Karnataka. There was a verbal skirmish with the police and activists of pro-Hindu organizations. A large number of Hindu activists, wearing saffron shawls, shouted Jai Shri Ram slogans and offered to perform bhajan on the spot. Also, we should be allowed to conduct a rally, they insisted. However, due to a lack of prior permission, the police refused and the situation got out of hand. As the police refused to permit the rally, the activists gathered at the spot and protested against the behavior of the police. Mukesh, the shop owner, also participated in the rally regarding the incident. Tensions escalated when Mukesh was being taken into custody by the police, MLA Suresh Kumar, who had come to the rally, stood across the police jeep. At this time, the police dragged Suresh Kumar himself. This made the situation even worse.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, the police tried to arrest Shobha Karadlanje and Suresh Kumar, who were about to stage a dharna on the way, and there was a scuffle and commotion. Condemning the attack on Mukesh, traders on that road protested in front of the police station demanding justice and arrest of the accused. While some traders chanted Hanuman Chalisa near Mukesh's shop, others voluntarily closed their shops. Background of the incident: Mukesh, the owner of a mobile shop in Siddannagalli, Nagarapete, said that while he was listening to a Hindi bhajan and Hanuman Chalisa on Sunday evening when a group of people suddenly came to the shop saying that the sound of the loudspeaker was loud. At this time, word of mouth has grown into an uproar. The attackers dragged Mukesh from inside the shop as they watched. Then they dragged him to the road and beat him mercilessly. He scratched his face with his nails. The footage of the kicking was captured on CCTV. Later, the accused escaped from there. Mukesh went and complained about this incident to the police and was treated at the hospital. Condemning the incident, hundreds of traders of Nagarpete gathered in front of the HalaSuru Gate Police Station and protested and demanded the arrest of the thugs who carried out the attack as soon as possible. The police of Halasuru Gate station went to the spot and checked the CCTV footage of those roads. Based on the footage captured in it, three people were arrested yesterday and two people have been arrested and are being investigated intensively.