FIR against rationalist KS Bhagwan in Uppinangady

Mangaluru, Sep 23: A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed in Karnataka against Kannada author and rationalist KS Bhagwan for "hurting" religious sentiments despite the celebrated writer complaining of receiving threats from right-wing groups accused of killing other rationalists.

The complaint against Bhagwan was filed by a person named Shyam in Uppinangady near Mangalore. The complainant said Bhagwan's recent speech at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru had hurt Hindu sentiments. A senior police officer said that the FIR was filed and the case transferred to the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru.

Bhagwan had incurred the wrath of right-wing activists after he allegedly disparaged the Bhagavad Gita while speaking at a programme in Mysuru in February this year.

Interestingly, the FIR against Bhagwan came even as the Karnataka Sahitya Academy is planning to honour him with Honorary Awards for Lifetime Achievement for 2013. Earlier on Wednesday, a man working as a hostel warden and priest was arrested at Hubballi in North Karnataka for allegedly making threat calls to the Academy for choosing rationalist the writer for the award.

Following the announcement of the award, which will be presented to Bhagwan and others on November 7 in Dharwad, Sahitya Academy had complained about receiving a threatening call. Academy officials had also said they had received several abusive calls for choosing Bhagwan for the award, following which police had provided security to the literary body.

Recently, a letter threatening Bhagwan was delivered to his residence at Mysuru, which came close on the heels of the murder of another noted Kannada progressive thinker and scholar MM Kalburgi in Dharwad. Earlier, a Bajrang Dal local activist was arrested in Dakshina Kannada district, a day after Kalburgi was gunned down on August 30, for allegedly posting remarks on Twitter threatening Bhagwan for his derogatory remarks on the Bhagavad Gita.