BJP MLA Harish Poonja booked for making 'provocative speech' at temple event in Karnataka
Mangaluru (Karnataka), May 4 (PTI): A case has been registered against BJP MLA Harish Poonja for allegedly making a provocative speech during the Brahmakalashotsava (consecration ceremony) at the Gopalakrishna Temple in Thekkaru village in Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the police, complainant Ibrahim S B has alleged that Punja made derogatory remarks against the Muslim community and allegedly attempted to incite communal hatred through his speech.
The speech in question was reportedly delivered in the presence of a gathering during the religious event.
The complaint stated that the content of the speech could sow discord between religious communities and disturb communal harmony in the region.
Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case under sections 196 and 352(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the new Indian criminal code that recently replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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MP traffic cop suffers burn injuries during Congress' effigy-burning protest; probe ordered
Maihar (MP) (PTI): A traffic policeman suffered severe burn injuries in Madhya Pradesh's Maihar district on Friday after his uniform caught fire during Congress' effigy-burning protest targeted at some ministers, prompting the police to file an FIR and launch an investigation into the incident, an official said.
The protest took place at Agrasen Tiraha in Maihar city, he said.
Traffic policeman, Vikram Pathak, who was on duty at that time, suffered severe burn injuries as petrol carried in a bottle by the protesters fell on his uniform and it caught fire.
Congress workers were burning an effigy while raising slogans against state ministers Rajendra Shukla (Health), Vijay Shah (Tribal Affairs), and Kailash Vijayvargiya (Parliamentary Affairs).
While the opposition party has been targeting Shah for his controversial remarks made last year against Col Sofia Qureshi, it has been demanding the resignations of Shukla and Vijayvargiya over the deaths of people due to contaminated water in Indore.
As the protesters tried to set the effigy on fire, petrol got sprinkled on Pathak's uniform, and it caught fire. The blaze quickly spread to his back and lower body, causing panic during the protest, eyewitnesses said.
A video of the incident also went viral, showing a stampede-like situation soon after the fire.
The police personnel and locals present at the scene acted swiftly and extinguished the fire using blankets and water. The injured traffic policeman was immediately taken to Maihar Civil Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, the official said.
Doctors said he suffered severe burn injuries, but is out of danger.
Taking serious cognisance of the matter, the police launched an investigation, he said.
An FIR has been registered based on the video footage, and the role of those involved in the protest is being investigated, the official said.
Police are also investigating the circumstances under which flammable material was used during the effigy- burning protest.
Following the accident, additional police force was deployed at the protest site and the surrounding area.
Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Kumar and Collector Rani Batad described the incident as serious and assured strict action against those involved in it.
"A demonstration was being carried out by the Congress, and during the effigy-burning, some petrol was spilled on the uniform of Vikram Pathak, the in-charge on duty, after which it suddenly caught fire and caused burn injuries to him," SP Kumar said.
An investigation is being conducted on the basis of the video, he said.
Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Hemant Khandelwal said in Bhopal, "I have spoken to the policeman and offered my prayers. There is a way to protest. Whatever happened is not right.
