Bengaluru police lodge FIR against BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje over Hanuman Chalisa row

An FIR has been filed by Halasuru Gate police against BJP leaders, including Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, PC Mohan, and 41 others, over the Nagaratpet incident. The incident involved a clash between Hanuman devotees and law enforcement after a shopkeeper was assaulted for playing devotional songs, leading to his arrest.

An FIR has been lodged by the Halasuru Gate police in Bengaluru under sections 143, 149, 188, 283, 290 and 268 against BJP leaders including MP Tejasvi Surya, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, MP PC Mohan and 41 others in connection with the Nagaratpet incident.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and several other party workers held a protest after a shopkeeper was beaten by over five men for allegedly playing devotional songs. A rally organized by Hanuman devotees at the site of the assault, located in Nagartpet, Bengaluru, saw a clash between demonstrators and law enforcement officials, leading to the police's refusal to allow the gathering. Amid the chaos, Mukesh, the shop owner targeted in the assault, was also implicated in the rally, resulting in his arrest.

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Background: 

The uproar unfolded following an altercation between Mukesh, owner of a mobile shop, and a group of men who allegedly objected to the playing of Hanuman Chalisa during a namaz, near his shop. According to eyewitnesses, tensions escalated when Mukesh resisted the demands of the young men, prompting them to forcibly remove him from his shop and subject him to physical assault.

Halasuru Gate Police Station swiftly launched an investigation into the incident, scrutinising CCTV footage from the scene and apprehending several young men believed to be involved in the assault. The assault, which occurred on a Sunday evening in Siddanna Galli, Nagarpete, has reignited debates. However, the aftermath of the incident took a political turn when BJP workers mobilized in protest, demanding justice for Mukesh and denouncing what they perceived as an attack on Hindu sentiments.