BJP MLA distances himself from Tejasvi Surya’s stance on Hanuman Chalisa row
Says issue was blown out of proportions to gain electoral gains
Bengaluru: On Wednesday, BJP MLA Uday Garudachar addressed the recent incident involving an attack on a shop owner in Nagarathpete, clarifying that it was not related to the playing of Hanuman Chalisa or azan. Garudachar emphasized that the issue had been blown out of proportion as the elections approached.
In an interview with a private news channel, Garudachar stated, "It's untrue that the telecom shop owner in Nagarathpet was attacked for playing Hanuman Chalisa. I have reliable information as it falls within my constituency. There was no need to exaggerate the issue." He stressed that it was unfortunate that the incident had been politicized during the election season.
Asserting his commitment to secularism and communal harmony, Garudachar affirmed, "I will never attribute the attack to individuals of another faith. I believe in the coexistence of all communities in peace." He mentioned that he had communicated this stance to Tejasvi Surya when the latter reached out to him earlier in the day. Garudachar advised Surya to allow the authorities to handle the situation within the framework of the law.
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The Congress party took to social media platform X to highlight Garudachar's statement and condemn Tejasvi Surya's involvement in the incident. The party accused Surya of attempting to fuel communal tensions for electoral gain and criticized his lack of substantial achievements. Referring to Surya as a 'foolish baby,' the tweet denounced his actions as mere theatrics to sway voters.
Earlier, BJP MP P C Mohan, along with Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, and MLA Suresh Kumar, along with supporters of the sangh parivar, staged a protest in Nagarathapete, alleging an attack on Mukesh for playing Hanuman Chalisa in his mobile shop. The demonstration included slogans such as 'Jai Sri Ram, Jai Hanuman,' and criticized what they perceived as the government's anti-Hindu stance. However, the situation escalated, leading to the arrest of several leaders and protesters by the police, including Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, and Suresh Kumar, who were later released.
ಚಿಕ್ಕಪೇಟೆ ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ನಗರ್ತಪೇಟೆಯ ಶಾಸಕರು ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯವರೇ,
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) March 20, 2024
ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಶಾಸಕ ಉದಯ್ ಗರುಡಾಚಾರ್ ಅವರು @BJP4Karnataka ಪ್ರಾಪಗಾಂಡಾಗಳಿಗೆ ತಪರಾಕಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ,
ಇದು ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯವರು ಚುನಾವಣೆಗಾಗಿ ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಕೋಮು ಬೆಂಕಿ ಎನ್ನುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಪುಷ್ಟಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.@Tejasvi_Surya ಎಂಬ ಅವಿವೇಕಿ ಶಿಶುವಿಗೆ ಈ ಗಲಾಟೆಯ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ… pic.twitter.com/xH0XEpsnNO
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US SC rejects 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s plea seeking stay on his extradition to India
New York, Apr 7 (PTI): The US Supreme Court has rejected 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana's appeal seeking a stay on his extradition to India, moving him closer to being handed over to Indian authorities to face justice.
Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles.
He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. Headley conducted a recce of Mumbai before the attacks by posing as an employee of Rana’s immigration consultancy.
Rana had submitted an ‘Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus' on February 27, 2025, with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit Elena Kagan.
Kagan had denied the application earlier last month.
Rana had then renewed his ‘Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan’, and requested that the renewed application be directed to US Chief Justice John Roberts.
An order on the Supreme Court website noted that Rana's renewed application had been “distributed for Conference” on April 4 and the “application” has been “referred to the Court.”
A notice on the Supreme Court website Monday said that “Application denied by the Court.”
Rana was convicted in the US of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the terrorist plot in Denmark and one count of providing material support to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashker-e-Taiba which was responsible for the attacks in Mumbai.
New York-based Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra had told PTI that Rana had made his application to the Supreme Court to prevent extradition, which Justice Kagan denied on March 6. The application was then submitted before Roberts, “who has shared it with the Court to conference so as to harness the entire Court’s view.”
The Supreme Court justices are Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In his emergency application, Rana had sought a stay of his extradition and surrender to India pending litigation (including exhaustion of all appeals) on the merits of his February 13.
In that petition, Rana argued that his extradition to India violates US law and the UN Convention Against Torture "because there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, the petitioner will be in danger of being subjected to torture."
"The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks,” the application said.
The application also said that his “severe medical conditions” render extradition to Indian detention facilities a “de facto" death sentence in this case.
The US Supreme Court denied Rana's petition for a writ of certiorari relating to his original habeas petition on January 21. The application notes that on that same day, newly-confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio had met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington on February 12 to meet with Trump, Rana’s counsel received a letter from the Department of State, stating that “on February 11, 2025, the Secretary of State decided to authorise” Rana’s "surrender to India,” pursuant to the “Extradition Treaty between the United States and India”.
Rana’s Counsel requested from the State Department the complete administrative record on which Secretary Rubio based his decision to authorize Rana’s surrender to India.
The Counsel also requested immediate information of any commitment the United States has obtained from India with respect to Rana’s treatment. “The government declined to provide any information in response to these requests,” the application said.
It added that given Rana’s underlying health conditions and the State Department’s findings regarding the treatment of prisoners, it is very likely “Rana will not survive long enough to be tried in India".
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi in the White House in February, President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.
A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
