CM Siddaramaiah condemns poisoning of school water to oust Muslim headmaster

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday condemned the alleged poisoning of drinking water at a government school in Hulikatti village of Belagavi district reportedly to force the transfer of a Muslim headmaster.

In a post on 'X' Siddaramaiah termed it a 'heinous act' driven by religious hatred and fundamentalism.

In a statement, Siddaramaiah said, “The headmaster of the government school in Hulikatti village, Savadatti taluk, Belagavi district, belongs to the Muslim community. With the malicious intent of having him transferred elsewhere, Sagar Patil, the Taluk president of Shriram Sena, along with two others, has been arrested for poisoning the drinking water of school children.”

The incident occurred about 15 days ago, during which several children fell ill, though no casualties were reported. Calling the act a "grave threat" to communal harmony, Siddaramaiah said, “Religious fundamentalism and communal hatred can lead to heinous acts, and this incident, which could have resulted in the massacre of innocent children, is a testament to that.

In the land of the Sharanas, who proclaimed, ‘Compassion is the root of religion,’ how could such cruelty and hatred arise? Even at this moment, I cannot believe it.” Taking on BJP leaders and right-wing organisations, he said those who spread hatred in the name of religion for political gains should engage in self-reflection.

"Will Pramod Mutalik (Sriram Sena head) take responsibility for this incident? Will @BYVijayendra take responsibility? Will @RAshokaBJP take responsibility? Leaders who always support such socially destructive acts should now come forward and atone for their sins,” Siddaramaiah sought to know.

The Chief Minister warned that all forms of extremism pose a threat to society. “All forms of fanaticism and fundamentalism are dangerous to human society. To curb hate speeches and communal riots, we have formed a special task force, and we are taking all possible legal measures against such elements,” he said.

Appealing for public cooperation, he said, “For all our efforts to bear fruit, the public must also raise their voices against such forces, resist them, and file complaints. I still believe that the number of people who wish to live together in harmony is a hundred times greater than the number of communalists.”

Siddaramaiah also appreciated the swift action by law enforcement officials. “Congratulations to the police personnel who foiled the evil plot to massacre children. I have full confidence that the judicial system will deliver appropriate punishment to the culprits who committed such a heinous act,” he said.

According to police sources, the incident came to light after children at the government primary school in Hulikatti village reportedly took ill under suspicious circumstances after consuming water provided on the school premises. Preliminary inquiry pointed towards deliberate contamination of the drinking water source.

Police investigations led to the arrest of three individuals, including Sagar Patil, a local leader of a right-wing group. The motive behind the act, according to officials, was to target the school’s headmaster, allegedly due to his religious identity. The accused are believed to have attempted to create communal tension in the area by fabricating circumstances that would lead to the transfer of the headmaster. All the affected children have since recovered.