Chandrashekhara Swamy booked for ‘outraging religious beliefs’

Bengaluru City Police have booked Chandrashekhara Swamy, seer of the Vishva Vokkaliga Maha Samsthana Math, for alleged hate speech against the Muslim community.

Acting on a complaint by a local Muslim leader from Cottonpet, Upparpet Police registered an FIR against the seer under Section 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 on Thursday (Novemeber 28) evening.

The seer, participating at a protest organised by Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, a Sangh Parivar affiliate, against the alleged “takeover of farmer’s land by Waqf Board” on Tuesday, said that “Muslims should be stripped of their right to vote, for others to live peacefully”. He apologised for his statement on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Campaign against Hate Speech, a citizen’s forum flagging instances of hate speech in Karnataka, petitioned Home Minister G. Parameshwara and Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) Alok Mohan, demanding action against the seer.

The petition alleged that the seer also spread multiple fake narratives claiming Wakf Board can take over any land they wish and that minorities do not have voting rights in Pakistan, apart from the hate speech against the Muslim community. They demanded that the seer be booked under sections 196 and 197 (promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between different groups… prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and public tranquillity) and section 353 (spreading false information) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023.

Published - November 29, 2024 12:06 am IST