A quarrel over a small matter between two groups of vendors in the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Market Committee (APMC) market in Karnataka’s Dharwad district has been painted in communal colours by a right-wing organisation, leading to communal tensions. The outfit to have fuelled the rumours is none less than Hindu Janajruti Samitui (HJS) responsible for severak hate events and alleged involvement in dangerous hate crimes too.
The incident allegedly took place over the blocking of a vehicle’s path carrying some goods.
Hubballi-Dharwad City Commissioner of Police Renuka Sukumar confirmed to an independent news portal, South First that it was merely a quarrel between two groups. She did however state that the groups indulged in fisticuffs, but clarified that the incident was not communal in nature.
The police have registered a case against four persons belonging to the minority community over the incident. They have been booked under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 34 (common intention), 504 (intentional insult provoking breach of peace), and 323 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was registered based on the complaint by Manjunath Udakeri of Lokuru in Dharwad. He is the brother of Irappa Rudrappa Udakeri, the victim.
“We have secured two people involved in the assault and are investigating further into the case,” Renuka told the media.
The quarrel
According to the police, the incident occurred at around 6:45 am on Saturday, February 3. Irappa and his driver had just arrived at the market with their goods vehicle loaded with vegetables.
Injured Irappa Rudrappa Udakeri in Dharwad
It is reported that when Irappa actually entered the market, another vegetable vendor Asfak’s son and son-in-law Abdul Rehman had spread their vegetables on the road to sort them, hampering movement. An irritated Irappa, who knew Asfak, apparently demanded they move the vegetables so that his vehicle could pass through.
The response he got from the two was that if he wanted to pass by with his vehicle, he would have to drive over their vegetables. The exchange quickly turned ugly, with the assembled people taking sides. The duo allegedly hurled vulgar abuses at Irappa and then started assaulting him after two others restrained him.
According to his brother’s complaint, Irappa was repeatedly punched in the face. He sustained injuries to his mouth and could not speak, said the police, adding that he also bled from his nose.
Witnesses informed the cops, who rushed to the spot and shifted Irappa to a hospital.
No communal angle, say cops
“Irappa could not speak to the police officers as he had injuries to his mouth. His friend Nadaf (belonging to the minority community), who was at the spot and an eyewitness to the incident, gave a statement to the police on Irappa’s behalf,” CP Renuka Sukumar told South First.
However, rumours started spreading on social media that a farmer was attacked by four men belonging to the minority community just because he was a Hindu.
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) Karnataka unit spokesperson Mohan Gowda posted on X, “Yesterday radical Muslims vendors beaten to Hindu poor Farmer in Dharwad APMC market for selling vegetables. Hindus farmers seviourly injured and admitted Hospital. It shows how Hindus are unsafe in Karnataka. [sic]”
However, the Hubballi-Dharwad police clarified that there was no communal angle to the incident.
“In fact, a friend of Irappa from the minority community named Nadaf helped him by communicating to the police about the incident,” the CP also added in their conversation with South First. However, this has not stopped HJS from continuing with its communal diatribe.
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