‘Campaign Against Hate Speech’ files complaint against Tejasvi Surya in Hanuman Chalisa row
A delegation from the "Campaign Against Hate Speech" met with election officials and police authorities in Karnataka on Wednesday to address concerns regarding alleged hate speech by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. The delegation filed complaint against Tejasvi Surya, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The delegation first met with Mr. Tushar Girinath, District Election Officer, to lodge a complaint against Tejasvi Surya for purported violations of various legal provisions, including Section 123(a) of the Representation of People Act, the Model Code of Conduct, and sections 153(a), 295(a), and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code.
Additionally, they approached the local police official to file complaints against Shobha Karandlaje, Tejasvi Surya, PC Mohan, and others for allegedly engaging in hate speech and conducting protests in unauthorized locations. The complaints cite violations of sections 153(a), 295(a), and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code.
Furthermore, a complaint was submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka and the Election Commission of India, outlining the grievances and requesting action.
The complaints stem from statements made by Tejasvi Surya on March 18, 2024, via a social media platform, wherein he allegedly targeted the Muslim community and attempted to incite hatred between Hindu and Muslim communities. Surya's remarks, which garnered significant online traction, accused the Congress party of fostering anti-Hindu sentiments and called for action against individuals involved in an alleged assault on a Hindu shopkeeper.
The Campaign Against Hate Speech asserted that Surya's statements, viewed by millions, have the potential to impact communal harmony and influence voters during the elections. They assert that Surya's remarks amount to hate speech and a call to violence against the Muslim community.
“It is pertinent to note the wide reach of Mr. Surya’s statements, having 1 million views, 587 comments, 5.4k retweets and 13 likes. He himself commands a following of 1.3 million persons. Thus, his statements have wide reaching consequences on voters, communal harmony, and the elections. Subsequently, he has attempted to stoke communal hatred by calling for Hanuman Chalisa to be everywhere and for this to start from the victim shopkeeper’s shop,” the complaint draft added.
The delegation contended that Surya's actions violate various legal provisions, including the Model Code of Conduct, which prohibits activities that exacerbate existing differences or create mutual hatred between different religious or linguistic groups. They argued that Surya's statements are also in violation of sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Section 123(3A) of the Representation of People's Act, 1951.
The delegation urged authorities to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against Surya and the BJP, emphasizing that hate speech has no place in society, particularly during election campaigns. They also provided video evidence of Surya's statements and called for immediate prosecution.
“His statements amount to clear violation of the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct Rule I “General Conduct” under Clause (1), no party or candidate “..shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.”. This prohibits in clear terms the aggravation of existing differences, the creation of mutual hatred, or the causing of tension between different castes, communities, religions, or languages. Mr. Tejasvi Surya’s statements are a direct and clear violation of the model code of conduct as well and hence, appropriate action may be initiated against the BJP and the candidate,” the complaint stated.
“Statements such as those made by Mr. Tejasvi Surya, if left unpunished, undermine the secular fabric of our Constitution and severely strain the quality of equality enshrined in Article 14. These statements, which effectively deny equal citizenship to religious communities, are in gross violation of the anti-discrimination principle underpinning our Constitution. Every person has the right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, which includes in its fold the right to live free from fear. In order to protect these core values of our Constitution, and to ensure that religious communities are not subjected to hate speech and denial of citizenship, we urge you to take urgent action in this regard,” it added.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Advocate Shilpa Prasad who was a part of the Campaign Against Hate Speech’s delegation said the Nodal Officer at the Chief Electoral Officer received the complaint and has assured them of following the process and initiating action if the complaint and the allegations were to found to be true. Shilpa also added that the complaint was also submitted to the District Election Officer Tushar Girinath and the local police authorities.
Shilpa was accompanied by three other members from the Campaign Against Hate Speech – Vinay, Aishwarya, Tanveer in the delegation that met the official to submit the complaint.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
