In response to the arrest of a Hindu activist, Srikanth Poojari, linked to a 31-year-old case related to the Ram temple agitation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests in Karnataka. The Congress government defended the arrest, labeling Poojari as a criminal suspect with multiple charges.
Leaders of the BJP, including R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, were taken into preventive custody during the protests, marked by slogans of ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai.’
Poojari, identified by the BJP as a ‘karsevak,’ was arrested last week concerning a case of violence in Hubballi, north Karnataka, in December 1992. Police clarified that the arrest was part of routine efforts to locate accused individuals in long-pending cases.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticized the BJP, cautioning against assigning caste and religious labels to criminals. He urged BJP leaders to consider the charges against Poojari and decide whether to support him. Siddaramaiah emphasised the danger of playing divisive politics based on caste and religion.
The police commissioner mentioned that Poojari faced a total of 16 cases, including preventive action reports, involving charges such as bootlegging and Matka gambling.
In Bengaluru, the BJP protest, led by state unit president B Y Vijayendra, resulted in a memorandum submission to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Siddaramaiah expressed concern over the need for a national party to defend a criminal suspect and appealed to BJP leaders to act responsibly as the opposition, avoiding divisive politics.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad accused the Congress government of conspiring to invoke false cases from the Ram Janmbhoomi movement. Dr. Surendra Jain, Central Joint General Secretary of VHP, criticised the arrests of surviving activists and questioned the government’s motives.
