The BJP held protests in Karnataka on Wednesday over the arrest of a Hindu activist in connection with a 31-year-old case related to Ram temple agitation as the Congress government justified its action dubbing him a criminal suspect with multiple charges.
Several BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, were taken into preventive custody during the protests, marked by chants of ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai” that rent the air. Srikanth Poojari, who the BJP said was a ‘karsevak’, was arrested last week in connection with a case of violence at Hubballi in north Karnataka in December 1992. Police said the arrest was part of a routine process to track down accused persons in long-pending cases.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at the BJP, saying leaders of the opposition party need to understand that assigning caste and religious labels to criminals is extremely dangerous.
“If any BJP leaders have a little wisdom, they should please read out the list of charges against this person from Hubballi and then decide whether to fight for him. Since Hindus are the majority in the population, they are also the majority in prisons. Does that mean BJP should fight for all of them because they belong to the Hindu religion?”, he asked.
Ashoka, MLA Arvind Bellad and several other top BJP functionaries staged a massive protest in Hubballi, and were taken under preventive custody as they marched towards the office of the Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Renuka Sukumar. Speaking to reporters, Ashoka said the party will intensify its agitation in the city till the case against Poojari is withdrawn and he is released. The police commissioner said about 90 to 100 people were taken under preventive custody including four legislators.
Sukumar said: “He (Poojari) has a total of 16 cases against him including three preventive action reports. So that’s the total 13 cases of bootlegging.
, Matka gambling cases and he is a rowdy sheeter in two police stations.” The BJP protest in Bengaluru was led by state unit president B Y Vijayendra, who, along with a delegation of party leaders, later submitted a memorandum to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
Siddaramaiah said it should not have come to a point where a national party has to defend a criminal suspect. He appealed to the BJP leaders in the State to stop playing petty politics in the name of God and religion, and try to act as a responsible opposition. Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad on Wednesday alleged that the Congress government in Karnataka is conspiring to invoke false cases registered during the Ram Janmbhoomi movement.
“Cases that are 30-35 years old, in which many of the framed ones have died, and most of the survivors who are between 70 and 80 years of age, are being implicated”, Central Joint General Secretary of VHP, Dr. Surendra Jain said.