Mangaluru: Al Haj KS Muhammad Masood, the President of D.K. and Udupi District Muslim Central Committee, has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Prabhakar Bhatta.
Masood's statement comes in response to Bhat's abusive remarks against Muslim women made during the 'Sankeerthana Yatra' as part of Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, on December 24.
Bhat's controversial comments praised the actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, particularly the criminalization of the practice of triple talaq. He claimed that Muslim women were granted "permanent husbands" by this legal intervention, alleging that prior to this, Muslim women did not have stable marriages.
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Addressing the hijab ban issue in educational institutions, Bhat warned against withdrawing the ban and challenged Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, questioning his authority to lift the ban. Bhatta also issued threats and challenges to a Muslim student, Muskan Khan, who had defended wearing hijab in educational institutions earlier in the year.
The Mandya Police responded to these remarks by filing a case against Bhatta under sections 354, 295, 509, 506, 153(A), 295, 295(A), and 298 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint filed by social worker Najma Nazeer.
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Mumbai, Sep 10: BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday refused to take up the responsibility as "communication chief with the Election Commission of India for Maharashtra assembly polls", stating that he should have been consulted beforehand.
In a letter to Raosaheb Danve, chairman of the party's state election campaign committee, the former Mumbai MP termed the treatment given to him as 'insulting'.
"It is wrong to appoint me as communication chief with the Election Commission of India for Maharashtra assembly polls without even discussing it with me. I disapprove of it, but you can appoint someone else for that position," read the letter.
"I am not a member of this committee, and I request you and the state president (Chandrashekhar Bawankule) not to treat me such insultingly," Somaiya added.
The letter also touched on a period in the past when the BJP, then in alliance with the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, had to sideline Somaiya as he had targeted the Shiv Sena continually over alleged corruption in the Mumbai civic body. Having won in 2014, he was denied Lok Sabha ticket in 2019, as well as in 2024.
"I have been working as a humble party worker since February 18, 2019, when BJP leaders directed me to leave the joint press conference because of Uddhav Thackeray's insistence. I took the responsibility of exposing various corrupt practices of the then Uddhav Thackeray government and also survived three near-fatal attacks, but I did my duty," he said.
"I am satisfied with the affection I have received from you during these last five and a half years. I will continue to work for the party in the upcoming assembly elections," Somaiya added.
The former Mumbai MP later also posted a message on X, saying, "I thank BJP Maharashtra for appointing me as Member of Campaign Committee and expressed Regrets and inability to do the same. I am still an active and ordinary member of the BJP and will continue to do so, but I will not join the committee."
When asked for comment, state BJP chief Bawankule said, "Somaiya is our senior leader. It is a rule in the BJP that we do not ask anyone, we delegate responsibilities. The party did not discuss with me whether I wanted to become state chief or not. I was made state chief directly."
I thank BJP Maharashtra for appointing Me as Member of Campaign Committee & Expressed REGRET & Inability to do the same
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) September 10, 2024
I wrote @cbawankule that for last 5 & 1/2 years (since 18/2/2019) I am doing BJP work as ORDINARY Member & Continue the same & will NOT join Campaign Comitee