BJP claims Bengaluru man assaulted for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’; police deny, arrest 3
According to police, the shopkeeper played a song on high volume during the time of 'Azaan', which apparently irked the youth belonging to the minority community.
A shopkeeper in Bengaluru was allegedly beaten up for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ during ‘Azaan’ (Islamic call to prayer), and this led to the BJP slamming the ruling Congress for appeasement politics.
Bengaluru Police said they had arrested three men over the incident and the suspects are all aged between 20 and 25 years.
What the FIR says
The police said they did not find any substantial proof to support the accusation of the shopkeeper being assaulted for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ and the complaint did not mention it.
According to the FIR, the fight was over “ loud music”.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening (March 17) at Siddannagalli in Cubbonpet area under the limits of Halasuru Gate police station.
BJP leaders share CCTV footage of incident
In the purported CCTV footage, which has gone viral a group of youth is confronting the shopkeeper over playing loud music. It led to a heated argument between them with one of them grabbing the shopkeeper's collar. The victim tried to retaliate but they dragged the shopkeeper out of the shop and assaulted him.
Sharing the CCTV footage on his X (Twitter) handle, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and BJP leader R Ashoka questioned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah whether ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ was banned in the state and also claimed there was “complete collapse” of law and order in Bengaluru.
“Is Hanuman Chalisa banned in Karnataka CM @siddaramaiah avare? Emboldened by the appeasement politics of @INCKarnataka Govt, a violent muslim mob brutally attacked a Hindu Shopkeeper in Bengaluru for playing Hanuman Chalisa. After Pakistan Zindabad slogans raised in Vidhan Soudha and bomb blast in Rameshwaram Cafe, this yet another glaring example of how Congress govt has let the anti-national elements capture Bengaluru leading to complete collapse of law and order,” Ashoka wrote with the video.
BJP MP from Bengaluru Central constituency P C Mohan too shared the footage and wrote, "In Bengaluru, a poor Hindu man was assaulted by a Muslim mob for allegedly playing the Hanuman Chalisa. The grim reality of Congress’s Mohabbat Ki Dukaan."
Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya too commented on the incident, and wrote on X, "A Hindu shopkeeper who was playing bhajans at his shop was assaulted by anti social elements saying bhajans aren’t allowed during time of ‘azaan’. The emboldening of such elements is a direct result of Congress’s appeasement politics. Just a few days back, people who shouted Pakistan Zindabad were given bail.
"With such political backing available to Jihadis, naturally such incidents of crime against Hindus have risen in our State. CM must stop setting wrong precedents. I call upon him to update the State on what action is initiated against the miscreants on this case."
‘Played song on high volume’
According to police, the shopkeeper played a song on high volume during the time of 'Azaan', which apparently irked the youth belonging to the minority community.
They went to question the shopkeeper, leading to an argument. One of the youths started attacking the shopkeeper, and a fight ensued between them.
“Based on the complaint, we have registered an FIR at Halasuru police station and arrested three men in connection with the incident,” a senior police officer said.
The FIR has been registered under 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
