The Karnataka Police on Wednesday, 10 August, filed an FIR against an activist of a Hindu group for allegedly threatening to destroy the Eidgah tower located on the premises of the controversial Eidgah Maidan in Bengaluru.
Chamarajpet Police in Bengaluru registered a case against Bhaskaran, the president of Vishwa Sanatan Parishad, for issuing the statement under charges of trying to create communal discord in society.
Bhaskaran, who has been active in the agitations demanding that the controversial site be handed over to the state government from the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf, had said that he would get the Eidgah tower demolished on the lines of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
'Site Belongs to Revenue Department'
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had recently declared that the controversial site belongs to the Revenue Department. Following the development, Congress local MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan had said that while the flag will be hoisted there for the first time to mark India’s 75th Independence Day, permission will not be given for the celebration of the Ganesha festival.
Some Hindu organisations demanded that the Eidgah tower be demolished, claiming that it would lead to complications while celebrating Hindu festivals. Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf said that it would approach the court in connection with the BBMP's decision of declaring it as a property of the Revenue Department.
Bhaskaran had demanded that the Eidgah Maidan be “utilised as a playground” and issued a deadline to the government for demolishing the Eidgah minar before 6 December.
He further issued a blatant threat saying that if the government failed, then they were already in touch with Hindu organisations in Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and also in different parts of Karnataka to gather a large number of people to demolish the Eidgah qibla wall.
Taking up a suo motu complaint against him, the police stated that Bhaskaran had hurt the religious feelings aimed at spoiling the peace in society.
(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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