Fringe group in Karnataka sends death threats to writers and activists

A fringe group named after ‘Sahishnu Hindu’ has been threatening to eliminate writers and activists, including Kannada writer Devanoor Mahadeva, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai and Mahua Moitra.

Devanoor Mahadev has been in the news after he published a controversial booklet ‘RSS: Aala Mattu Agala’; filmmaker Leena Manimekalai recently defended the controversial poster of her film ‘Kaali’; and, Mahua Moitra, the West Bengal MP, made a controversial statement while reacting to poster of film ‘Kaali’.

‘Death threat to 60 people’

A case was registered in the Sanjaya Nagara police station in the Bengaluru North Jurisdiction on Sunday (July 17), Deputy Commissioner of Police Vinayak Patil told The Federal. “A death-threat letter was received by former minister and writer BT Lalitha Nayak and it named her and 60 other people, including writers and politicians. We are investigating the case,” he said.

Devanoor Mahadeva, when asked by The Federal about death threats received by writers and thinkers, said that it is difficult to hate him. “Love may blossom in the hearts of the haters too,” he said, adding “Dweshisuvvarige preetinoo huttabahudalla? (‘Haters can also love, right?)”

Also read: ‘I’ve written it for entire mankind’: Kannada writer Devanur on his popular RSS book

The list in the letter written in the name of ‘Sahishnu Hindu’, also mentioned Kannada writer Baragooru Ramchandrappa, who was the chairman of the textbook committee during former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s period and opposed revisions done by Rohita Chakratirtha Committee recently for alleged saffronisation of textbooks in Karnataka.

The letter also named former chief ministers Siddaramaiah, HD Kumaraswamy, former MP and Opposition Leader in the legislative council BK Hariprasad, etc. The letter termed them anti-nationals and threatened to eliminate them.

‘Three letters by the same person’

BT Lalitha Nayak spoke to The Federal and said that she had received three such letters, the last one on Sunday. “This letter has also been written by the same person as the handwriting matches… a few names of the target list (have been changed). They have not mentioned noted writer Banjagere Jayaprakash and few others this time,” she added. However, she said, the police have given her protection.

“Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh, noted writer and epigraphist MM Kalaburgi and Marathi writer and activist Govind Pansare were shot dead by fringe group activists in the past and this is the cause of worry,” said the Kannada writer.

Others who have received such death-threat letters include noted writer Vasundhara Bhoopathi, SG Siddaramaiah, BL Venu and Kum Virabhadarappa.

After Opposition leader Siddaramaiah demanded an investigation into these threats, the government appointed SP Ramnagar as the nodal officer to supervise the probe into the threat letter cases.

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