Mangaluru police took Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Mangaluru divisional secretary Sharan Pumpwell and other members into custody after they attempted to storm the house of former MLA and poet late B.M. Idinabba in Ullal on Wednesday.
Members of the Hindutva organisation had come to Ullal, near Mangaluru, to protest after the former MLA’s grandson was arrested by NIA in an alleged ISIS case. 35-year-old Ammar Abdul Rahman was arrested in connection with the case of a Kerala module of the Islamic State registered in March this year. VHP members also allege that Rahman’s wife is a convert to Islam, and hence a case of ‘Love Jihad’.
The term ‘Love Jihad’ is a hate campaign and false propaganda run by extremist Hindutva forces claiming that Muslim men lure non-Muslim girls, and trick them into marriage and force them to accept Islam. #VHP #Bajrangdal activists tried to storm former mla Idinabba's house in #Mangalore. His grandson has been arrested by @NIA_India in #ISIS case. Bajrangdal activists have been alleging that his grandson's wife is a case of #LoveJihad. VHP has threatened to intensify protests. pic.twitter.com/TpyL0b8z0t— Imran Khan (@ImranTheJourno) August 11, 2021
A day before, Pumpwell had threatened to orchestrate violence against the Muslim community in the coming days. “The community has been shielding anti-nationals and supporting love jihad. In the coming days – a campaign will be started & it could result in violence,” he had told reporters in Mangaluru.
In a direct threat, Pumpwell asked Muslim religious leaders not to encourage their youth into such marriages. “If you do not deal firmly with such youths, we will be forced to take legal action and it may lead to clashes,” he had said.
‘Will Not Allow VHP To Misuse Issue: SDPI”
Reacting to Sharan Pumpwell’s call to VHP members to display placards in Ullal, SDPI Dakshina Kannada district unit A.M. Ataullah said that the party will not allow the Hindutva group to create communal tension in the region.
Ataullah said the NIA is still investigating the case, and if it is found true, then those persons will have to face the consequences as per the law. However, it was inappropriate for the VHP to use this incident to tarnish the whole Muslim community, he said.
He asked people not to fall prey to the words of VHP and other groups.
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Shaik Zakeer Hussain is the Founder and Editor of The Cognate.
