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Bengaluru: A communal dispute erupted in Bengaluru over playing a Hindu Devotional song Hanuman Chalisa, on loud speaker in a private space. The clash which broke out between Mukesh(shopkeeper) and a group of men on Sunday has invited harsh reaction from BJP and other Hindu organisation raising questions over the law and order situation in Congress ruled Karnataka.
The incident
According to media reports and the recovered CCTV footage, a group of people arrived in front of a shop locate in central Bengaluru. The gang of men confronted the shopkeeper who was playing the Hindu devotional song “Hanuman Chalisa” in his shop over speaker.
The gang expressed their resentment over song being played, when the shopkeeper denied pausing the song, the one of the men grabbed his colour and dragged him out of his shop . The men started physically beating and abusing the shopkeeper.
According to the statement by the shopkeeper, the three men asked him to stop the music as it was time for Azaan (muslim prayer).
Arrest made by police
The police arrested the three men accused of assaulting the shopkeeper for playing a Hindu devotional song. An FIR was registered against the three men under the section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 307 (attempt to murder) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code
Speaking to reporters, Mukesh said, “Yesterday around 6.15 pm, I was playing a devotional song… three to four people came and threatened me that they will beat me up if I play loudly with speaker… I asked them what was the problem. They said it’s our Azaan time now and that such (Bhajans) should not played at this time.”
“If you play like this, we will beat you. Later, one of them grabbed my collar and when I tried to resist, they thrashed me and threatened to stab me with a knife,” he added.
#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: “I was playing Hanuman bhajan. 4-5 people came and said it is time for Azaan and if you play it we will beat you. They beat me and also threatened me that they would stab me with a knife,” says the shopkeeper who was attacked by a group of over five… https://t.co/0ONOXqm2Sw pic.twitter.com/QaS7joDqe8
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2024
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