Bengaluru: In the aftermath of a tiff that broke out at the Siddanna Layout area in Bengaluru, Union minister of state Shobha Karandlaje appeared to accuse a Tamil Nadu man of placing a bomb in a cafe and then issued an apology after Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin condemned her statement.
Karandlaje claimed that the law and order situation is poor in Karnataka under the current Congress government, which she accused of being ‘anti-Hindu’.
While speaking to media persons during a protest against the Siddanna Layout skirmish in which a shopkeeper was allegedly beaten up on March 17, Karandlaje mentioned,“People from Tamil Nadu come here, get trained there and plant bombs here. They placed a bomb in a cafe.”
The Chickmagaluru MP was referring to the IED blast that took place in the Whitefield area on March 1.
She then added, “Another man comes from Delhi and raises pro-Pak slogans in the Vidhan Soudha. Another man comes from Kerala and throws acid at college students. Boys come and beat up a boy in a shop where he was listening to Hanuman Chalisa. This government is protecting minorities and it is anti-Hindu… The law and order situation is poor and we demand Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara’s resignation. We will keep fighting.”
In response, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief Stalin urged the BJP to “stop engaging in this dirty divisive politics”.
On X, Stalin wrote: “@ShobhaBJP‘s reckless statement. One must either be an NIA official or closely linked to the #RameshwaramCafeBlast to make such claims. Clearly, she lacks the authority for such assertions. Tamilians and Kannadigas alike will reject this divisive rhetoric of BJP. I also urge for an appropriate legal action against Shobha for causing threat to peace, harmony and national unity. From the Prime Minister to cadre, everyone in the BJP should stop engaging in this dirty divisive politics at once. ECI must take note of this hate speech and initiate stringent action immediately.
Shortly afterwards, Karandlaje published an apology on X.
“To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some – and for that, I apologize. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamilnadu effected, From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments,” Karandlaje wrote on X (previously called Twitter).
Even though Karandlaje retracted her statement, she claimed that the DMK’s “appeasement politics” has “emboldened radical elements to attack on Hindus and BJP workers day and night”.
The union minister added: “Mr. Stalin, what has become of Tamil Nadu under your rule? Your appeasement politics have emboldened radical elements to attack on Hindus & BJP workers day and night. Frequent Bomb blasts bearing the hallmarks of terror outfits like ISIS explode while you turn a blind eye.”
“FYI [For your information], the Rameshwaram bomber was trained in Krishnagiri forests under your nose. Tamil makkal has a long history of harmonious relations with Karnataka. They have been an integral part of Karnataka’s social fabric, contributing immensely to the state. We have close cultural bonds and shared history,” she mentioned.
On March 20, the Election Commission of India (ECI) directed Karnataka Chief Election Officer to take “appropriate action” against Karandlaje for her statement linking people from Tamil Nadu with Bangalore cafe blast and file a compliance report within 48 hours after the DMK approached the poll body.
BJP protests over Hanuman Chalisa row
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police arrested five individuals — Suleiman, Shahnawaz, Rohith, Dyanish and Taruna — on the basis of an FIR filed by a shopkeeper named Mukesh who was allegedly beaten up in the Siddanna Layout area on Sunday. A video of the scuffle went viral on WhatsApp.
A day after the incident, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya visited the shopkeeper and underlined that he was attacked since he was playing “bhajans” at his premises.
“Visited Mukesh, the shopkeeper who fell victim to a brutal assault by unruly youth for playing Bhajans at his premises. It’s regrettable that under this Congress administration, such extremist elements feel empowered to target innocent individuals. Urging @CPBlr to swiftly conduct an impartial investigation & arrest the radical youth,” Surya wrote on X.
Surya added: “In Congress’ Karnataka, Hindus are being disregarded as third class citizens. When Mukesh, the victim of today’s assault by radical youth at Nagarathpete approached Bengaluru Police, a token FIR was registered with “loud music” as the cause of the attack. Unfortunately, I had to accompany Mukesh to Halasuru Gate Police Station & ensure a thorough statement was recorded, including the fact that the cause of the provocation was him playing Hanuman Chalisa.”
On Tuesday, Karandlaje and Surya along with local BJP supporters and Hindutva groups took out a protest march in Nagarathpete in support of the shopkeeper who was assaulted. The protesters were taken in preventive custody.
“Arrest us all..!! It’s an open challenge. Under the Congress govt in Karnataka, there’s an unspoken fatwa against playing Hanuman Chalisa. Shockingly, Shopkeeper Mukesh, who was attacked, himself sits behind bars. It’s time to stand with him, united against this blatant injustice!” Karandlaje wrote on X while posting a video of the massive protest.
While Karandlaje said the person who had filed the FIR is behind bars, Police sources confirmed that he was only called for questioning and neither arrested nor detained.
Earlier, commenting on Surya’s claim, Karnataka health and family welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao asked, “As usual @Tejasvi_Surya tries to spread hatred. The boys who have attacked the Hindu shopkeeper are both Hindus and Muslims. Why will Hindus attack a Hindu shopkeeper over azaan.”
Rao added: “Who has said that Hanuman Chalisa was being played? What makes you jump to the conclusion that it was a fight over azaan vs bhajan? Whatever the fight was all about, the people who acted wrongly should be punished, but it’s shameful to see this young leader from #BJP indulging in gutter and cheap politics.”
Refuting Rao, Surya posted a video on X in which Mukesh is seen speaking to media persons and mentioning that he was asked “to stop playing bhajan during azaan” by “three-four people who beat him up”. “They take token and borrow stuff for free. I refused to sell stuff like that,” Mukesh added.
However, Bengaluru Commissioner of Police B Dayananda told The Quint that Mukesh’s original complaint made no mention of any bhajans or the azaan.
“The altercation took place because he [Mukesh] was playing a religious song next to a mosque. Some boys had come to his shop, asking him to stop and then beat him up. In this group, Hindus were also present,” Dayananda was quoted as saying by The Quint.
