Mangaluru police book case against Sadhwi Balika Saraswati, finally

Mangaluru, Mar 6: A communal harmony activist in the city has lodged a complaint against Sadhwi Balika Saraswati for making a hate speech during the Virat Hindu Samajotsav recently held at Nehru Maidan.

Teenage Sadhwi from Madhya Pradesh was the main speaker at the Samajotsav organized in the pretext of golden jubilee celebration of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

In a complaint filed with Mangaluru South Police Station on Thursday, Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike leader Suresh Bhat Bakrabail accused Balika Saraswati of hurting religious sentiments of a section of society in her speech.

Mr. Bakrabail has taken objection to the sadhwi’s statement asking women from one community to chop off heads of men from another community.

The complaint has been registered with the Mangaluru South police under Section 153 of Indian Penal Code.

Section 153A of IPC says whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities is liable for prosecution.

Likewise, anyone who commits any act which is prejudicial to maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

It could be recalled here that Mangaluru City Police Commissioner S Murugan had termed the speech of the Sadhwi as provocative. He also had said that police were considering case against Sadhwi.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Santosh Babu K said Mangaluru South PS personnel also received a second complaint from a Muslim organization in connection with the speech. However, the complainants in this case will be treated as witnesses to the main complaint, he said noting that there is no provision to register multiple complaints to an incident and will be treated as a single complaint for investigation.

Also Read:

Mangaluru police consider case against Balika Saraswati for provocation

Stone ‘them’ and deport to Pakistan: Balika Saraswati

Hindu Samajotsav hits normal life in tension-stricken Mangaluru

Burn your ignorance, not Bhagavad Gita: Pejawar seer’s emotional speech at Hindu Samajotsav

Grand Shobha Yatra adds vigour to Hindu Samajotsav