A protest ensued in Bengaluru over an altercation when a shopkeeper was thrashed by a group of men for playing the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ during ‘Azaan’ time.
A protest ensued in Karnataka capital Bengaluru over an altercation when a shopkeeper was thrashed by a group of men for playing the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ during ‘Azaan’ time. A video of the incident is being shared widely on social media.
This triggered outrage among the public, which gathered in the city’s Siddanna Layout area – where the incident first took place on Sunday – to stage a demonstration. Protestors waved saffron flags and raised “Jai Shree Ram” slogans.
A shopkeeper was beaten up by a group of men on Sunday for playing the Hindu devotional bhajan “at a high volume” during ‘Azaan’ time. The Bengaluru police have arrested three people in connection with the assault.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the incident and accused the ruling Congress government in the state of appeasement. BJP leader R Ashoka hit out at the grand old party for allegedly “failing” to maintain law and order in the state.
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya also spoke on the incident, writing on social media that Hindus are being disregarded as “third class citizens” in Congress’ Karnataka. “When Mukesh, the victim of today’s assault by radical youth at Nagarathpete approached Bengaluru Police, a token FIR was registered with “loud music” as the cause of the attack. Unfortunately, I had to accompany Mukesh to Halasuru Gate Police Station & ensure a thorough statement was recorded, including the fact that the cause of the provocation was him playing Hanuman Chalisa. @CPBlr Sir, I urge you to ensure quick arrests & an unbiased probe,” He wrote on micro-blogging site ‘X’.
