Javed Akhtar seeks arrest of Karnataka Muslim cleric

Agencies

June 20, 2018

Bengaluru, Jun 20: Noted Urdu poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar today sought immediate arrest of Karnataka cleric Tanveer Peera Hashim for his controversial remark that cows would be slaughtered during Bakrid, saying the comment was "irresponsible and outrageous."

"Secularism doesn't mean ignoring or tolerating minority communalism. This irresponsible and outrageous cleric Tanveer Hashim should immediately be arrested for trying to create communal tension in Bengaluru," Akhtar tweeted.

The cleric kicked up a controversy with his remarks made in the presence of state minister Shivanand Patil during his sermons on the occasion of Ramzan prayer at Vijayapura in north Karnataka a few days ago.

The remarks sparked a row as cow slaughter is banned in Karnataka.

Tanveer Hashim is the head of Hashim Pir Dargah at Vijayapura, a popular Muslim shrine.

The video of his purported remarks has gone viral.

The minister chose to remain quiet after Hashim made the controversial remarks.

"Let me bring to your notice, in two months time there will be Bakrid. In the name of cow, this satan (devil) will do a mischief. I am telling you (the minister) this beforehand so as to ensure that with the cow another sacrifice does not happen," Hashim said in his speech in Urdu.

Condemning Hashim's remark, BJP Spokesperson S Prakash told PTI that it is a "pragmatic counter remark" made by Akhtar and the coalition JD(S)-Congress government should wake up and book a case against the cleric immediately.

The government has a very partisan attitude towards communal speeches made by minority clerics or people, he alleged.

Prakash also questioned the "double standards" of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, asking why it should have different yardsticks for party MLA and former union minister Basavaraj Patil Yatnal and Hashim.

"Both JD(S) and Congress call themselves secularists. Why are they silent? When the government can book a case against Basavaraj Patil Yatnal, why not the cleric? Why this double standard? It is certainly questionable," he said.

RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda said he does not expect any action from the Congress when in the past they haven't been able to stop Mani Shankar Aiyar from making controversial remarks.

"When they could not stop Mani Shankar Aiyar from making useless comments, so how can we expect them to take action against the minister (Patil) and the cleric? They will never do it," he said.

The cleric's remarks came days after a purported video of Yatnal asking corporators to work only for Hindus, who voted for him, and not for Muslims, went viral on social media.

Comments

Hello; Javed, who r u to talk about Muslim community; U r the agent of Anti Social group; or u r with the group of Terrorists to act against Muslims, if u r holding with muslim name or another, u will be throne to garbage. U r not condeming the words or open statement or actions agaist one community; what will not happening in North Indian states, now u r coming to south to bark.

What javeed said is 100% true, Cleric Sheera wil say this kind of wrong msg and poor uneducated muslims will do as per his instructiions and later get killed or suffer under the police hands or injury for clerics wrong msges..... cleric sheera will rest inside his house without any problem. its the Poor always suffers in the hand of this kind of people..... The cleric and the rich are always safe and secure inside their cofort zone .......

Javed Akhtar wake up only want to give speech against Muslims hence make happy to BJP and RSS.

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Campus politics: DKS pushes to restore student elections in Karnataka banned since 1989

News Network

November 26,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka is taking its first concrete steps towards lifting a three-decade-old ban on student elections in colleges and universities. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced Wednesday that the state government will form a small committee to study the reintroduction of campus polls, a practice halted in 1989 following incidents of violence.

Speaking at a 'Constitution Day' event organised by the Karnataka Congress, Mr. Shivakumar underscored the move's aim: nurturing new political leadership from the grassroots.

"Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections," Shivakumar stated. "I'm announcing today that we'll form a small committee and seek a report on this."

Student elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, largely due to concerns over violence and the infiltration of political party affiliates into campus life. The ban effectively extinguished vibrant student bodies and the pipeline of young leaders they often produced.

Mr. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president, said that former student leaders will be consulted to "study the pros and cons" of the re-introduction.

Acknowledging the history of the ban, he added, "There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities."

The Deputy CM reminisced about his own journey, which began on campus. He recalled his political activism at Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College leading to his first Assembly ticket in 1985 at the age of 23. "That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped," he lamented, adding that for many, college elections were "like a big movement" where leaders were forged.

The move, driven by the Congress high command's push to cultivate young talent, will face scrutiny from academics and university authorities who have, in the past, expressed concern that the return of polls could disrupt the peaceful academic environment and turn campuses into political battlegrounds.

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