BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from South Bangalore has been booked for alleged hate speech after he posted a purported video of a shopkeeper being beaten up by a group of people for allegedly playing the Hanuman chalisa during Azaan, on social media.
Tejasvi Surya was booked after the flying squad of the election commission filed a formal complaint with the police, reported Indian Express.
The election commission received a complaint against the BJP MP by an organization named Campaign Against Hate Speech.
The complaint accused Tejasvi Surya of targeting the Muslim community and attempting to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims.
The case has been registered at Halasuru gate police station.
Tejasvi Surya has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153(a) (promoting disharmony or feelings of hatred, enmity, or ill will between different religious, racial, or other groups), 295 (a) (deliberate and malicious acts that outrage religious feelings of any class are punishable) and the Representation of the People Act Section 123 (3a) (The promotion of, or attempt to promote, feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of the citizens of India by a candidate or his agent).
In the post the BJP MP shared on social media on March 18, he said, “A Hindu shopkeeper who was playing bhajans at his shop was assaulted by anti-social elements saying bhajans aren’t allowed during the time of ‘azaan’. The emboldening of such elements is a direct result of Congress’s appeasement politics. Just a few days back, people who shouted “Pakistan Zindabad” were given bail.
With such political backing available to Jihadis, naturally such incidents of crime against Hindus have risen in our State. CM must stop setting wrong precedents. I call upon him to update the State on what action is initiated against the miscreants in this case.”
Alongside the post Tejasvi Surya shared the video where a group of six men are seen thrashing a shopkeeper after an altercation for allegedly playing Hanuman chalisa during Azaan.
