A lawyers group has urged Karnataka police to file a case against Hindutva leaders for making communal remarks targeting Muslims at a public meeting last week.
All India Lawyer’s Association for Justice (AILAJ), a group of human rights advocates, filed a complaint against Basavaraj, state convener of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Ullas, state secretary of Hindu Jagaran Vedike before Director General of Police (DGP) and Tumakur’s Superintendent of Police (SP) seeking registration of FIR over anti-Muslim remarks.
“I am giving a warning to all goonda bad Muslim jihadis if Hindu community hold weapons in their hands, there won’t even be any place to bury you, we are giving you a warning in this fashion. Listen, you of Hindu community,” Basavaraj said, according to the complaint.
The complaint further quoted Ullas of the HJV saying that they would resort to communal violence against Muslims to protect their religion.
“We will resort to violence, if need be, to protect Hindu Dharma. We will teach ‘Jihadi terrorists’ a lesson. A young brigade will be formed to counter any attack on dharma and the nation. Organisations like SDPI and PFI have continued their assault on Hindus. After then CM Siddaramaiah withdrew criminal cases against PFI activists, many Hindu activists were murdered,” he said.
AILAJ said the communal meeting was held despite a lack of police permission. The police were also present at the event, the complaint said, demanding action against the on-duty cops as per Karnataka Police Manual for failing to create and maintain a feeling of security in the community.
“The effect of the incident is the creation of communal disharmony and the disruption of public order. It provides a feat to religious extremist outfits to utilize vigilante violence to further their communal goals. The incident entirely upsets the fabric of secularism and fraternity in society, leading marginalized communities to live in fear of the dominant community. There are several videos, pictures and news reports available regarding the incident,” the complaint further read.
AILAJ quoted a Supreme Court judgement on vigilantism: “There can be no shadow of a doubt that the authorities which are conferred with the responsibility to maintain law and order in the states have the principal obligation to see that vigilantism, be it cow vigilantism or any other vigilantism of any perception, does not take place,”
The lawyers’ groups demanded action against Hindutva leaders under different sections of the Indian Penal Code viz 143, 145, 153, 153A, 290 r/w 34, 149.
AILAJ warned that if the culprits go “unpunished and unchecked” it would mean “endorsement to extremist groups to carry out vigilante justice”.
Karnataka has recently seen a spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes as Hindutva groups have grown increasingly emboldened under the BJP government.
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Rushda Fathima Khan is the Staff Reporter for The Cognate.
