Complaint against Tejasvi Surya for ’hate speech’, poll code violation

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Mar 21, 2024: A complaint has been filed against the BJP leader and South Bengaluru MP Tejashvi Surya for his alleged ’hate speech’ on social media following an assault on a Bengaluru shopkeeper for playing loud music at the time of azan (Islamic call to prayer).

 

The complaint filed by Hate Speech Beda, a group of activists and citizens dedicated to combating hate speech, alleged that the remarks made by Tejasvi Surya were "factually wrong and incendiary" and "an explicit call for violence against the Muslim community".

The complaint filed with the Election Commission and Karnataka Police also accused the BJP MP of corrupt practices, violation of the Model Code of Conduct, disruption of communal harmony, and unlawful assembly.

"Such statements are not only factually wrong and incendiary but also an explicit call for violence against the Muslim community. He has called them ’anti-social elements’ and that with political backing available to ’Jihadis’, in his opinion, ’such incidents of crime against Hindus have risen in our state’. It is evident that he is attempting to create hatred between the Hindu and Muslim communities, calling them ’Jihadis’, and disrupt communal harmony in the lead up to the election," the complaint said.

Reacting to the complaint, Tushar Girinath, District Election Officer, said that police had already moved it under certain sections.

"There is another complaint registered on hate speech. Police have registered a complaint under Section 7(1) of the Karnataka Police Act of 1963, where only protests can be done in Freedom Park, and unauthorised sloganeering and protest is not allowed. One case is under the KPA, which is a preventive arrest, and for demonstrations and protests in unauthorised places. The hate speech part, we have received a complaint, what needs to be done will be done," Girinath said.

On March 18, the South Bengaluru MP took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and slammed Congress for appeasement politics. He claimed that incidents of crime against Hindus have risen in Karnataka due to the political backing available to ’Jihadis’.

The BJP leader was even detained briefly on Tuesday (March 19) after he led a protest by BJP workers and Hindu organisations at Nagarathpet against the alleged assault on a Hindu shopkeeper. He was later released.

The shopkeeper, Mukesh, alleged that he was beaten for playing ’Hanuman Chalisa’. However, the police FIR only mentioned that he was beaten by the accused men for playing loud music.

Courtesy: India Today