The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has forwarded the complaint filed by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya to the Bengaluru Director General of Police (DGP). Surya and three others had visited a Covid-19 war room for inspection in Bengaluru and made communal remarks against the Muslim community, accusing them of “blocking beds” in hospitals providing Covid-19 care. The NCM forwarded the complaint on December 29 and has asked the DGP to take necessary action in the matter.

In May 2021, CJP had approached the Commission about the incident that took place on May 4, 2021 where Bhartiya Janta Party’s Bengaluru (South) Member of Parliament, Tejasvi Surya listed out sixteen names all belonging to people from the Muslim minority community, linking them with an alleged bed blocking ‘scam’ in the south Municipal Zone.  He was accompanied by Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar, Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy and Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya (who also happens to be Tejasvi Surya’s uncle). During his inspection of the Covid-19 war room in south Bengaluru, he chose to read out only the 16 names (all clearly Muslim-sounding) out of the 214 persons employed at the centre, asking their qualifications. In a video, Ravi Subramanya can be seen and heard asking, “Are you hiring for a corporation or a Madrassa? How can he appoint 16 members like a Haj committee?”

Tejasvi Surya was suggesting that 16 Muslim volunteers of the BBMP’s south zone unit may be responsible for the lack of beds in the city. Like his uncle, even Surya was heard asking if “they (Muslim volunteers) were recruited for a corporation or a madrasa?”

After this incident, a controversy erupted after WhatsApp forwards claimed that BBMP Joint Commissioner for Covid Care Centres and Solid Waste Management, Sarfaraz Khan, was involved in the bed allocation scam.

Sarfaraz Khan said he was extremely ‘pained’ to see a message being shared on social media accusing him of being involved in the alleged scam. The WhatsApp message listed 16 names of Muslim volunteers with the title: “List of terrorists working in BBMP war room killing thousands of Bengalurians.”

After a probe was launched, all volunteers were suspended but were eventually reinstated as the Bengaluru Police found no evidence against them. But five of them are still too traumatised to go back to work. 

The complaint

The complaint states that such statements not only instill hatred among other communities towards the minority community, but also demoralise them, creating a fear psychosis among the targeted community. “In the midst of this fierce, raging pandemic that is claiming thousands of lives every day, Indians are collectively working together to help people in need. But some leaders are indulging in unnecessary communalisation of the issue. Choosing to highlight only the Muslim names out of over 200 contractual employees is highly discouraging and demotivating for all those people who are clocking extra hours to help in whatever way they can,” the complaint says.

The complaint sought the following actions from the NCM:

1. Direct the Bengaluru Police to file an FIR against the MP and his fellow MLAs who visited the centre and made such communal remarks

2. Monitor the Police investigation against the MLA and his fellow aide under section 9 of the National Commissions for Minorities Act, 1992

3. Direct Tejasvi Surya, Uday Garudachar, Satish Reddy and Ravi Subramanya to apologise for their deeply hurtful and offensive comments against the minority community

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Remember when Tejasvi Surya, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) from Bengaluru South  had landed at a Covid war room with three BJP MLAs, one of whom is his uncle, and read out a list of Muslim names of those posted there, and asked “Who are all these people?” Then you may also remember how his uncle, MLA Ravi Subramanya, made communal remarks such as, “Have you appointed them for the madrassa or for the Corporation? How can he appoint 17 members like a Haj committee?” The incident had been a PR disaster for Surya and Co., and the MP was then compelled to return and ‘apologise’ rather ‘clarify’ his stand. 

The Central Crime Branch Police, Bengaluru, was investigating the case and as reported by Indian Express three more persons have now been arrested as the scam where ‘allocation’ of Covid-19 beds was alleged. One of those arrested, however, is a man who reportedly has “links” with the aide of BJP MLA Sathish Reddy. Reddy too was a part of the group that had gone along with Tejasvi Surya to conduct a ‘raid’ on the Covid-19 war room in Surya’s Bengaluru South constituency on May 4.

The three accused have been identified as M Babu (34), who according to IE is allegedly connected to Reddy’s aide; then there is Varun S (20), who was employed in the Bengaluru South war room; and Yashwanth Kumar (21). Police have so far nabbed 11 people in connection with the case. According to reports, police consider Babu to be a key suspect in the scam. Police told the media that this racket was not really a planned scam but was a case of some people trying to make quick money as the pandemic raged.

Babu, stated news reports, allegedly “used links to doctors and telephone operators in the Bengaluru South war room to get beds blocked”. These then were allotted to patients for a price. According to the news report this part was done by Babu’s “agents” Nethravati and Rohit Kumar. The other accused Varun allegedly shared patients’ phone numbers with Yashwanth, who in turn contacted their relatives to “strike bargains for rooms”, reported IE. An official told the media that the men “demanded between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1 lakh for beds”. The beds were meant to be free of cost. The police probe revealed that “a lot of outsiders were allowed unhindered access to the war room”, added the news report.

As expected, when asked by the media, Reddy, the BJP MLA from Bommanahalli (which is part of the Bengaluru South parliamentary seat), has denied links to the racket, reported IE. Reddy said he was “only tried to get beds” for those in his constituency. It is not yet known if Tejasvi Surya, has made a comment on this yet, his social media timeline has not revealed if he has conducted any more raids on Covid-19 war rooms since.

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Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya, reportedly went back to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) run Covid-19  war room in his constituency, to apologise. According to a news report in News18, Surya apparently told those working in the war room that he had “nothing personal against” any of them, adding “If anyone or any community is hurt emotionally by my visit, I apologise for that. I wanted to probe the bed allocation scam which had come to my notice, but if my actions had hurt anyone, please accept my apologies.” This is more of a non-apology given how he fails to accept that what he did was wrong, and instead turns the tables on the affected individuals with the classic “if” apology.

The report quoted Shivu Naik, project manager of the Crystal Infosystems and Services, the agency that had hired and delegated manpower for the war rooms of the BBMP, who explained that 212 employees were deployed for: indexing, home isolation, discharge team, bed allocation and helpline, and they worked on different shifts, in different wings. 

Previpously, Tejasvi Surya had arrived at the  Covid war room with three BJP MLAs, one of whom is his uncle, and was grilling officials. Surya read out a list of names of people posted in the Covid facility – all Muslim, and then asks, “Who are all these people? First shift, second shift, night shift. 17 people in the list in three shifts. I will read the list. What was the process of hiring? 17 people. Who are these people?” His uncle, MLA Ravi Subramanya, then made communal remarks such as, “Have you appointed them for the madrassa or for the Corporation?… Who is this person, Madam? How can he appoint 17 members like a Haj committee?” However, as News 18 reported, all those people were never working together in any shift or any team. 

Surya, had claimed this was a “bed-blocking scandal” and also exposed its own communal agenda when he read out names of only 17 Muslims out of the 212-member team employed at the Covid war room. Tejasvi Surya’s apology comes probably on the advice of party leaders who must have reminded him that he had blamed the civic body, which is governed by his own party. 

He made sure to take to social media to thank Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa for his “unstinted support in efforts to correct irregularities in bed booking system.”

I thank Honble CM Sri @BSYBJP for his unstinted support in efforts to correct irregularities in bed booking system.

Under his leadership, we will ensure robust, efficient & transparent process will be implemented on war footing to serve people of Bengaluru.

Thank you, Sir. pic.twitter.com/4MkYfVx5bM

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 7, 2021

Of course Surya also faced flak from right thinking citizens who are all doing their best to help each other survive the Covid-19 crisis, shortage of hospital beds, ventilators, ambulances etc. According to Naik, it was “perhaps it was because work was suffering that Surya came again,” though even he is not really sure. According to the news report, the south zone staff was “apparently worried that since some were taken for prolonged police interrogation, the 16 members named were labelled as ‘terrorists’ in many social media posts; they thought they could be detained too for any reason.” 

Tejasvi Surya may have ‘apologised’ to the war room staff, but can he be trusted? Remember, he once referred to Muslims as “puncture wallahs and illiterates”, and commented on anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests saying “Mughal raj” will return if the “majority community” was not “vigilant”. In October 2020, Indians in Europe and various other collectives called for the removal of Tejasvi Surya as a speaker at a  conference hosted by the Indian Consulate in Hamburg. They said Surya had “a divisive agenda against non-Hindu communities which is against the European ethos of equality, diversity and inclusivity” and that “ goes against the European responsibility under international laws such as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights among others.” 

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The post Nothing personal: Tejasvi Surya’s cold non-apology to Bengaluru’s Covid-19 war room staff appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Just concluded marathon meeting with senior officials & tech volunteers to suggest changes to BBMP bed booking software. We are trying to ensure accountability of persons booking beds, transparent process of allotment & preventing abuse of process. Hope to see them implemented,” says Tejasvi Surya, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South who is also the national president of BJP’s youth wing, in a late night tweet. It would appear that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Surya is the one who will help Bengaluru, and Karnataka deal with the Covid-19 second-wave onslaught. 

Just concluded marathon meeting with senior officials & tech volunteers to suggest changes to BBMP bed booking software.

We are trying to ensure accountability of persons booking beds, transparent process of allotment & preventing abuse of process.

Hope to see them implemented.

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 5, 2021

The MP has claimed a big reveal on what he called a “bed-blocking scandal” in Bengaluru, and has in fact blamed the civic body, which ironically is governed by his own party. However, the video of this ‘expose’ by the MP and his entourage has also exposed its own communal agenda. Communal comments were made against 17 Muslim employees at a Covid war room, and Tejasvi Surya who had read out those name listened on.

Bribe for BBMP quota hospital bed booking unearthed by BJP MP Tejasvi surya and BJP MLAs. BBMP officials took money to block beds for which govt paid for treatment. All beds were booked and showed scarcity. MLAs and MP to meet CM and complaint against BBMP officials. pic.twitter.com/qjOgIDyDtm

— Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) May 4, 2021

In the video clip Tejasvi Surya is in the municipal Covid war room with three BJP MLAs, one of whom is reportedly his uncle, and the politicians are grilling officials. s uncle. Surya is seen reading out a list of names of people posted in the Covid facility – all the names are Muslim. As seen in the video, and reported by many, Surya reads out the names and then asks, “Who are all these people? First shift, second shift, night shift. 17 people in the list in three shifts. I will read the list. What was the process of hiring? 17 people. Who are these people?” According to news reports there are 205 employees in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Covid war room, however that these 17 names of Muslims were singled out exposes another agenda. As soon as the video was uploaded by the MP on his own youtube channel, and then circulated on social media a controversy erupted.

Surya of course has in the part as often referred to Muslims as “puncture wallahs and illiterates”, and commented on anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests saying “Mughal raj” will return if the “majority community” was not “vigilant”. In October 2020, Indians in Europe and various other collectives called for the removal of Tejasvi Surya as a speaker at a conference hosted by the Indian Consulate in Hamburg. They said Surya had “a divisive agenda against non-Hindu communities which is against the European ethos of equality, diversity and inclusivity” and that “ goes against the European responsibility under international laws such as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights among others.” 

His knack of creating a communal controversy however may have taken the spotlight away from the way the BJP-led state government has been handling the devastating second wave of Covid-19 that on May 4 saw Karnataka breach the 50,000 mark, and reported 346 deaths. According to a bulletin of the Karnataka government released on Wednesday, Bengaluru had reported 23,106 of the new cases, and 161 people had died of Covid-19 in the city in a 24-hour period. The state’s Covid-19 numbers now total around 17.41 lakh, of which 4.87 lakh cases are still active. Bengaluru has 3.13 lakh active cases. 

That seems to have stayed a ‘local’ issue and news, and the discussion now seems to be on Surya and his uncle and MLA Ravi Subramanya. Ravi can be  heard in the video using communal attacks such as, “Have you appointed them for the madrassa or for the Corporation?… Who is this person, Madam? How can he appoint 17 members like a Haj committee?” Surya lets the communal comments flow uninterrupted. He then called a press conference on Tuesday and alleged that there was “widespread corruption” in allocating Covid beds in Karnataka’s capital.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Surya alleged, “Bribes are being taken to allocate Covid beds. An unholy nexus of BBMP officers, Arogya Mitras and certain private agents is behind this scam,” adding that this had led to an “artificial shortage” of beds. He alleged that the BBMP-in charge booked beds in the name of an asymptomatic patient after being alerted of a vacancy, and that this was done in 4,000 instances. Surya alleged, “So, the same bed is again allotted to another patient after a few hours, either based on monetary considerations or influence by authorities in other cases. The common man calling the helpline is left high and dry.”

As expected after Surya’s allegations the ‘list’  of 16 names made its way to WhatsApp and social media with the caption, “List of people working in the BBMP War Room killing thousands of Bengalurians”.

According to a news report Bengaluru civic body commissioner Sarfaraz Khan was also targeted on social media. According to NDTV, Khan has said that he had “nothing to do with the bed allotment process and that the allegations had caused him deep pain” he added that Surya had called him to clarify that he was not targeting him and that he stood by him. An audio clip purportedly that of this conversation has also started circulating. Later, Surya also distanced himself from the communal statements made by his uncle MLA Ravi Subramanya, in his presence, stating “you need to ask him why he made that statement”. He told the Times of India that when he “went to the BBMP war room, the officials said those 17 wor .. workers had been removed on some charges. I only read out their names and asked on what basis they were appointed…. I am not responsible for what is doing the rounds on social  media”

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Indians in Europe and various other collectives are calling for the removal of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from the speaker list of an upcoming start-up conference hosted by the Indian Consulate in Hamburg, said a HuffPost report on October 5, 2020.

Addressing a letter to the Consulate, they said that Surya has a divisive agenda against non-Hindu communities which is against the European ethos of equality, diversity and inclusivity. Moreover, it also goes against the European responsibility under international laws such as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights among others.

The collectives included the India Solidarity Germany, The Humanism Project, the Solidarity Belgium, Indians Against CAA, NRC & NPR –Finland, the Bharath Democracy Watch, the Indian Alliance Paris and Foundation The London Story. Their letter detailed Surya’s several communal tweets, comments and remarks he made during the anti-CAA protests. Surya is infamous for openly saying that anyone against Modi is anti-national. The signatories thought it “shameful” for a parliamentarian to say such things.

Moreover, Surya also addressed a pro-CAA rally at Bengaluru’s Town Hall where he said only “uneducated, illiterate, and puncture-wallahs” opposed the CAA. The Collectives asserted that such divisive people cannot be allowed to find a safe haven in Europe.

They appealed to the European diaspora to raise objections with the Indian Consulate and ask them to invite speakers with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

The newly-appointed BJP Yuva Morcha Chief made headlines recently for refusing to apologise for his “Bengaluru terror epicentre” comment. In that same statement, he had requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to set up a permanent division of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bengaluru.

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From inflammatory tweets to #MeToo allegations BJP’s South Bangalore candidate Tejasvi Surya seems to have earned his stripes by practicing a particular brand of hate and misogyny. All in all he seems to be old wine in a new bottle. Presenting our Election Special series on #HateOffenders – men and women who specialize in hate speech, threats and crimes.

Courtesy: https://cjp.org.in/

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The post “If you are anti-Modi, then you are anti-India”: BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 

Tejasvi Surya however is no stranger to controversy. Behind the suave veneer lies the well known grime of hateful Hindutva politics. His sanghi roots are often exposed in his misogynistic stances, hyper-nationalistic war mongering and aggressive anti-minority utterances.
 

 

 

 

On second thought, perhaps these are the very traits that have endeared him to the BJP central leadership and earned him his candidature. Albeit it is also possible that his over the top sycophancy has paid rich dividends. The current Prime Minister is known to enjoy and encourage bhakti.

 

So the question on everybody’s lips now is – will the media houses that have been named in the complaint take a stand by not only challenging the injunction in higher courts, but also calling out Mr. Surya’s cowardly bluff ? Because it is about time that someone did.

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