SECTION 144 IN KARNATAKA’S SHIVAMOGGA OVER SAVARKAR ROW

Following a clash between two groups of people from different faiths in Shivamogga district in Karnataka on Monday, Police have imposed Section 144 as precautionary measure. The clash took place when a group of people reportedly tried to remove banners of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and replace them with Tipu Sultan’s pictures.

“Section 144 of the CrPC imposed for next three days after a group of Tipu Sultan followers tried to remove banners of VD Savarkar to install Tipu Sultan’s banners in the Ameer Ahmad circle of the city,” the police said.

Locals said a person was stabbed during the violence. It has also been reported that a group of Tipu Sultan’s followers tried to remove Savarkar’s banner saying that Savarkar was not a freedom fighter. The situation remains tense after the incident and following this police did a lathi charge. Notably, in a similar case, Karnataka Police have arrested three persons for allegedly tearing up images featuring images of freedom fighters put on display to celebrate the 75th Independence Day. The arrests were made by the Halasuru Gate police station in Bengaluru where a case was filed on August 14 under the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971, and outraging of religious feelings (under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code or IPC) over the alleged vandalism of a flex board image of Tipu Sultan put up at Nripatunga Road in Hudson Circle installed as part of the Congress ‘Freedom Walk’ program on 15 August.

The complaint was made by the Rajajinagar Congress party functionary Manjunath, police said. Those arrested include Puneeth Kerehalli, president of an organization named Rastra Rakshana Pade, for allegedly tearing up the Tipu Sultan flex.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Chief DK Shivakumar visited the incident site and said, “Someone is trying to create disturbance in the state. They are not able to digest Congress’ ‘Freedom March’”.

The State Congress had also reacted to the issue of dropping of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s photo from government advertisements. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar on Sunday demanded an apology from the Karnataka government for ignoring former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the state government’s advertisement for the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. He also demanded an apology from the Karnataka CM.

“Insulting freedom fighter Jawaharlal Nehru in an advertisement made from common people’s taxes is intolerable. The Chief Minister should apologize to the people of the state for insulting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,” said Siddaramaiah.