Image Courtesy:mangalorean.com
That Karnataka has been labelled as the laboratory of Hindutva in south India, is well known. Now it appears it is also becoming the laboratory of right-wing Islamist propoganda. Communal hate, here in the coastal state, is being matched with more communal hate. An example of Karnataka’s hate mongers’ blatant disregard for the law was seen in a viral video circulating on social media, where six as yet unidentified Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) members made a series of hateful and verbally abusive statements against the police. In the video, a group of men, riding on a bike can be heard verbally abusing police officials in Mangaluru, calling them “dogs”.
#Mangaluru: Six unknown SDPI members were booked under several sections of the IPC after a video went viral on social media on Sunday.??#SDPI Members Booked For Abusing Cops, Calling Them ‘Dogs’.
*Son of a Dog in byari Language #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/7ByjdmnmPF
— Hate Watch Karnataka. (@Hatewatchkarnat) May 29, 2022
This impunity was displayed by the SDPI men despite the outrage against the incident where a child, clearly encouraged and possibly indoctrinated by hardliners in his family, was used to chant communal hate slogans and fosters hate at a rally organised by Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala next door. Both SDPI and PFI are viewed as hardline Muslim groups, often accused of using the same communal tactics as those allegedly used by Sangh Parivar affiliated Hindutva groups. In fact, just yesterday, a PFI leader made undignified remarks about the judiciary, accusing them of wearing saffron underwear, when the Kerala High Court expressed shock at the little boy’s communal slogans.
Action against SDPI men’s abusive rant in Karnataka
The SDPI men have been booked in Karnataka under Sections 144 (unlawful assembly), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 504 (insult to provoke breach of peace) of the IPC stated news reports. According to a Times Now, SDPI state president Abdul Majeed said in Mangaluru, “If you come towards Malali masjid you must know what will happen. I urge the respected people of DK to send a clear message that even a handful of mud of the Malali masjid will not be handed over.”
Provocative speech by SDPI state Prez Abdul Majeed in Mangaluru:
“If you come towards Malali masjid you must know what will happen. I urge the respected people of DK to send a clear message that even a handful of mud of the Malali masjid will not be handed over.” pic.twitter.com/xi7VyUiFGz— Deepak Bopanna (@dpkBopanna) May 28, 2022
According to news reports, the men had allegedly come to take part in the party’s rally in Mangalore city. Some media including the Republic reported that Abdul Majeed “issued a threat to the RSS and urged the people of Dakshina Kannada to show the right-wing Hindu organisations that they cannot even take a handful of soil from that place.”
Hindu groups have claimed that a Shiv temple existed at the site of the Juma Masjid at Malali in Mangaluru. According to news reports, “Several pro-Hindu groups including VHP carried out ‘tambula prashne’ – a ritual involving astrology to know the truth – to find out whether a temple existed at that particular place.” The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti had also released a list of 1,862 mosques it claims are “illegal” out of this 191 they stated were located in Karnataka.
Action in case of child raising communal slogans in Kerala
Meanwhile, across the state border in Kerala, police have arrested Yahya Thangal, a senior leader and state executive member of the PFI. According to a report in the Hindustan Times (HT) he was arrested “after examining the video of his speech.” The PFI had called a meeting to protest the arrest of the father of the young boy who had been heard shouting provocative slogans at a PFI rally on May 21 rally in Alappuzha. The father had been arrested on Saturday, a week after the controversial rally stated the news report.
Yahya Thangal, was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Kerala high court judges for their criticism of the provocative slogans raised by the minor boy. Police said Yahya Thangal, a senior leader and state executive member of the PFI, was arrested after examining the video of his speech. The PFI had carried out a protest meeting after the boy’s father was arrested on Saturday, a week after the controversial rally.
On Friday, Kerala high court had directed the government to take strict action against those who raised provocative slogans as well as those organised the event. “The court also said the outfit should be held responsible for the acts of those who participated in the rally,” reported HT.
According to news reports, Thangal in the latest video, was heard saying, “Courts are getting shocked easily now. High court judges are getting shocked after hearing the slogans of our Alappuzha rally…” This was reportedly said at a rally held in Alappuzha on May 28. Now Thangal has been booked under sections 153 A and C (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and is currently in police custody. The police have already arrested 26 people so far, including the father of the child. Police registered a case three days after the rally and arrested 26 people so far, including the father of the child in the rally case. The state child welfare commission told the media that the child “would be given proper counselling.”
The PFI had attempted to disown the sloganeering but later it was reported that some leaders said the slogans “were directed against Sangh Parivar outfits, who are trying to take over major religious centres of Islam in north India.”
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