Karnataka BJP protests assault on trader, 2 briefly detained

Union minister Shobha Karandlaje and BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar were among those briefly detained on Tuesday during a demonstration against the assault on a trader by a group of men for allegedly playing a bhajan “at a high volume” in his shop, Nagarathpete area of Bengaluru. Meanwhile, two more people have been arrested and a minor has been detained in connection with the incident.

According to the complainant Mukesh Kumar (32), he was playing a bhajan at his mobile shop in Nagarathpet when a group of men asked him to lower the volume, citing disturbance at a nearby mosque.

While the police have arrested a total of five people, including two on Tuesday, in connection with the case, the Bharatiya Janata Party denounced it and called for a peaceful procession from Mukesh’s shop on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, as the police were preparing to transport Mukesh in a jeep, BJP MLA Suresh Kumar stood in front of the police vehicle in protest. This led to a confrontation between the MLA and the police, with Hindutva activists expressing outrage over the handling of the situation. Eventually, the Hindutva activists intervened and removed Mukesh from the police vehicle.

“Do not stoop to this level out of impatience. This is a premeditated attack on a vulnerable young man. It has disrupted the peace of society. This appears to be a deliberate act of deception. The attackers must be appropriately punished,” BJP said.

MLA Kumar expressed his outrage. “All communities should come forward in this matter,” he added.

The protest saw a substantial turnout of leaders, lawmakers, and Hanuman devotees, reflecting the widespread concern within the community. Traders in Nagarthapete closed their shops temporarily as activists blocked the roads.

Police later briefly detained Karandlaje, MLA Suresh Kumar and several protests under Section 200 of the CrPC.

Halasuru gate police inspector Hanumatha Bhajantri cited the election code of conduct as the reason for detaining the leaders.

He added that all five accused related to assault have been arrested. “We have arrested all five accused related to assault on the shopkeeper and produced them all before the ACMM court, which remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days, he added. We checked the social media status of the brother of the accused, which is provocative, but prima facie it seems it is an old status. We are investigating the incident and would take appropriate action’’ he added.

Six individuals — Suleman, Shahnawaz, Rohit, Danish, and Tarun alias Dadiya (all aged 20 to 26), and a minor — have been apprehended in connection with the assault on mobile shop owner Mukesh for over Mukesh playing Hanuman Chalisa, a prayer, on loudspeakers during azaan. However, the claim was not mentioned in the complaint lodged by the man.

“We condemn the attack and threats against the young man, and action will be taken against the culprits,” stated Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao regarding the incident in Nagaratpete. He further criticiaed the BJP, accusing them of exploiting the situation for their own gain.

“The BJP is using this issue for their own interests, waiting for such events to happen to fuel sentiments,” he added.

Gundurao expressed concern over the politicisation of the incident, stating, “Nowhere in the case complaint is there any mention of Hanuman Chalisa and Aazaan.” He criticised MP Tejaswi Surya’s actions, alleging they were aimed at creating an atmosphere of hatred, particularly amidst an election period.

Gundurao accused the BJP of exploiting the incident for political mileage and said there isa need for factual discussions over sensationalism. Meanwhile, police sources revealed the criminal history of the assailants, indicating a pattern of violence in the area.

Meanwhile, the Congress filed a complaint against MP Tejaswi Surya, alleging attempts to stoke religious tensions for electoral gains, citing his involvement in organising a protest in Nagarthapet. The complaint called for appropriate action against Surya for alleged violations of electoral conduct regulations.