Bengaluru: BJP MPs P C Mohan, Tejasvi Surya and Shobha Karandlaje were among the 43 people booked for “unlawful gathering” at Siddannagalli in Central Bengaluru on Tuesday to protest the attack against a shopkeeper. The suo-motu case was registered on Tuesday night by the Halasuru Gate police.
According to the police, between 200 to 300 people led by the BJP MPs had gathered in the area from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. The large gathering was a result of the call given by the party to protest the assault on Mukesh, a shopkeeper in Siddannagalli, on Sunday evening. The Halasuru Gate police arrested five people in connection with the case.
The case took a political and communal turn after the BJP claimed that the group assaulted Mukesh after they had objected to his playing the Hanuman Chalisa. While the First Information Report (FIR) did not mention the hymn, Mukesh recorded an additional statement on Tuesday claiming that the duo had objected to the hymn as it was time for azaan.
During the initial investigation, police found that Mukesh was playing “loud Hindi songs” on his portable speaker and the suspects asked him to lower the volume as it was time for azaan, a police officer had told DH, adding that an argument ensued, which led to a melee.
On Tuesday, the crowd gathered at the spot waving saffron flags, raising slogans and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. The police claimed that despite making announcements on loudspeakers, the mob failed to disperse and caused disturbance to the public.
The case was booked under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 290 (punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for) and 268 (public nuisance) of the India Penal Code (IPC).
Investigations are on, the police said.
Published 21 March 2024, 10:52 IST