Case filed against Sharan Pumpwell for placing saffron flag in shops during Mangaladevi temple fair
Mangaluru, (PTI): The Mangaluru city police have registered a case against Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharan Pumpwell and his associates for allegedly indulging in communally divisive activities near Sri Mangaladevi temple here.
Pumpwell, along with a group of followers, had allegedly placed saffron flags at the shops owned by members of the Hindu community situated in the vicinity of the temple during the Dasara celebrations on Tuesday.
He also made a press statement urging the Hindu community to exclusively patronise shops owned and operated by fellow Hindus for their essential needs. These actions and statements have the potential to incite religious enmity, police said.
The case was registered at the Mangaluru South police station. The charges include causing communal disharmony and promoting divisive behaviour on religious grounds, sources said.
Mangaluru city police commissioner Anupam Agarwal, in a statement here on Wednesday, emphasised the police department's commitment to maintaining peace and security within the city.
Meanwhile, the joint forum of secular parties and organisations of Dakshina Kannada condemned the VHP call and said the right-wing outfit is dividing people by giving a call to boycott traders of other faiths.
Forum general secretary and DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla said people of all faiths have joined the Navaratri celebrations of Mangaladevi temple for centuries.
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Congress’ Chaudhary Lal Singh, noted for supporting Kathua rape accused, loses Basohli Assembly seat
Basohli: Congress leader Chaudhary Lal Singh lost the Basohli Assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir by 16,034 votes to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Darshan Kumar, according to data from the Election Commission. Kumar secured 31,874 votes, while Singh, a former minister in the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, garnered 15,840 votes.
Singh had previously won the Basohli seat in the 2014 Assembly polls after switching from Congress to the BJP. He returned to Congress in March 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Singh’s nomination had drawn criticism due to his participation in a 2018 rally in support of the accused persons in the Kathua rape and murder case.
In September, the Constitutional Conduct Group, a collective of former civil servants, criticized the Congress for fielding Singh, stating that his candidacy contradicted the party’s stand against the politics of hate.
The 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections were the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The polls were held in three phases, with a voter turnout of 63.8%. The Legislative Assembly has 119 members, including 24 designated for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and five appointed by the lieutenant governor. A party or alliance needs 48 seats for a majority when the House has 95 members.
