Sri Ram Sena chief and Hindutva activist Pramod Mutalik has said that an agitation will be organised across the State if the State Government fails to withdraw order banning jatras and congregations imposed on account of COVID-19 protocol.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Tuesday, Mr. Mutalik said that while the State Government has relaxed restrictions on various other activities in the wakeof falling cases of the pandemic, it has not relaxed restrictions on religious activities and celebrations.
“It is highly condemnable that jatras have been banned but COVID-19 protocol does not apply to other economic and recreational activities. All the other activities can be conducted but not activities pertaining to religious events. Lakhs of people who are dependent on these religious fairs for their livelihood are being forced to take to the streets,” he said.
Mr. Mutalik announced that if the State Government fails to take a re-look at its decision on imposing restrictions on fairs by Friday, Sri Ram Sena and other organisations will be forced to launch the agitation across the State.
Mr. Mutalik said that while the State Government is allowing all kinds of activities that are related to Western culture, traditional celebrations related to various religions are being restricted. “If the same trend continues then, the BJP will vanish in the coming days. The BJP claims to protect Hindutva and that it will have to bear the curse of imposing restrictions on tradition,” he said.
He urged the State Government to immediately remove restrictions imposed on pilgrimage centres such as Yallammana Gudda, Chinchali Mayakka and Siddharoodh Mutt. If the State Government fails to act, Hindutva activists will lay a siege to the offices of tahsildars and Deputy Commissioners, he added.
