Halasuru Gate police have registered an FIR against three MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, Bengaluru Central MP P. C. Mohan, and Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje — and 44 others for organising a protest in Nagarthpet despite their request for a gathering being turned down by the police.
The three MPs have been nominated by the BJP as its candidates in Bengaluru for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP protested on March 19 demanding the arrest of those who assaulted Mukesh, a shopkeeper in the area, on March 17. BJP has given a communal spin to the event and claimed the assault was carried out by members of the minority community over playing Hanuman Chalisa (devotional song) during azaan (call for prayer). However, the accused include both Hindus and Muslims. In fact, local BJP MLA Uday Garudachar said that the incident was not communal, and said that it was needlessly blown out of proportion.
Multiple complaints have been lodged against BJP’s three MP candidates from the city with the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Based on the complaint filed by Inspector Hanumantha K. Bhajantri, the police charged Mr. Mohan, Mr. Surya and Ms. Karandlaje and 44 BJP workers under Sections 144 (unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant), 283 (obstructing public way), and 290 (public nuisance), on March 19.
Mr. Bhajantri, in his complaint, said that the BJP leaders, along with over 200 supporters, blocked the road creating nuisance by using loudspeakers and holding saffron flags, shouting slogans, demanding the arrest of the accused in the attempt-to-murder case registered earlier.
The police tried to convince the protesters that they were violating a High Court order against staging a protest on the road, but in vain, the complaint said. The accused blocked the road for three hours causing inconvenience to the public, motorists and also posed a threat to law and order, he said.
