A merchant was thrashed by a gang of men for playing the “Hanuman Chalisa” during “Azaan” time, which sparked a protest in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, saw a protest after a shopkeeper was physically attacked by a mob of men for performing the “Hanuman Chalisa” during “Azaan” hours. On social media, a video of the incident is being extensively shared.
The public was incensed by this and staged a rally in the city’s Siddanna Layout district, where the incident occurred on Sunday. Protesters chanted “Jai Shree Ram” and waved saffron flags.
A gang of men attacked a shopkeeper on Sunday for playing the Hindu devotional song “at a high volume” during the month of Ashvan. Three persons have been taken into custody by the Bengaluru police in relation to the assault.
The ruling Congress government was accused of appeasing the tragedy by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also criticized it. R Ashoka, the leader of the BJP, blasted the establishment party for supposedly “failing” to uphold peace and order in the state.
Tejasvi Surya, a Bengaluru South MP, too commented on the incident, claiming on social media that Hindus in Congress-held Karnataka are treated like “third class citizens.” “When Mukesh, the victim of the radical youth attack at Nagarathpete today, went to Bengaluru Police, a token FIR was filed, citing “loud music” as the incident’s reason. Sadly, I had to go with Mukesh to the Halasuru Gate Police Station to make sure a complete statement was taken, mentioning that the reason he was provoked was because he was portraying Hanuman Chalisa. On the microblogging site “X,” he said, “@CPBlr Sir, I urge you to ensure quick arrests & an unbiased probe.”
