BENGALURU: Karnataka Tourism Minister C T Ravi on Sunday demanded action against officials of Belur’s Arehalli police station for “exercising excess measures” in booking a BJP worker. Ravi alleged that a BJP worker — Tej Kumar Shetty — was “unnecessarily booked for merely sharing a post on the correlation between Coronavirus and Tablighi Jammat.” The allegation against police comes days after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa warned of severe legal action against anyone attempting to communalise COVID-19. The minister insisted that the post was not communal in nature. Ravi urged his cabinet colleague and Home Minister Basavraj Bommai to initiate action against the police.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, the minister said the CM had said action should be taken if a community or religion was insulted or targeted. “But our worker has only shared a post in which coronavirus is shown as saying Tablighis are stronger than the virus. They could have simply booked a case under 153A (of the IPC), but the sub-inspector made him wear a mask and took photos as if he was a terrorist. They have shown excessive behaviour,” he said.
The minister pointed out that if that were grounds for filing a case then many media houses and politicians should also be booked since they had also criticised Tablighis. “If Tabligh means all Muslims then the community should take responsibility for all their mistakes. Tabligh is an organisation. We have the right to condemn an organisation’s mistakes. The organisation can go to court if they find it offensive,” Ravi added. The post shared by the BJP worker illustrates coronavirus prostrating with folded hands to an image of Maulana Muhammad Saad, Amir (chief) of Tablighi Jamaat. “I accept that you are more deadly than I am ‘Maulana Ji’,” the virus is shown as telling the cleric.
Cong counters claims Ravi’s claims
of the post not being communal were countered by Congress leaders from the Muslim community. “CT Ravi has a reputation of formenting communal passions every time he speaks and he is only acting as per his reputation. This is their political agenda although the Chief Minister unequivocally said that a community shouldn’t be targeted. They also know they aren’t targeting one jamaat, they are targeting the community. They have covered their failures by blaming this one on the community. Best wishes to them,” said Rizwan Arshad, MLA, Shivajinagar. “Only in this country has COVID-19 been made communal, aided and abated by the BJP and RSS leaders,” he added.
Renukacharya booked for REMARKS
Davangere: The Davangere police have registered a complaint against Honnali MLA M P Renukacharya for making inflammatory remarks against Tablighi Jamaats who had attended a recent congregation in Delhi. The political secretary to the chief minister had recently asked the government to issue directions to “shoot” the Tablighi congregation attendees for not getting themselves tested for COVID-19 and for creating problems for ASHA and anganwadi workers and doctors. The complaint was filed by Congress leader M T Subash Chandra with the KTJ Nagar police in the city. Renukacharya, however, clarified on Sunday that he was not against any religion, caste or community. “I am against anti-social elements who are trying to disrupt social harmony. I am ready to face any action as I have not done anything wrong or made any wrong statements,” he said.