Mob allegedly has allegiance to RSS, Bajrang Dal: Fact finding committee on Naragund murder case
Six-member committee of Bahutva Karnataka submits fact-finding report
Gadag: A six-member Fact-Finding team of Bahutva Karnataka released its report on the murder of Sameer Shahpur and attempted murder of Shamseer Khan in Naragund Taluk of Gadag district.
The committee submitted that the mob which lynched Sameer and injured Shamseer allegedly has allegiance to the RSS and Bajrang Dal.
It also added that Naragund has witnessed sporadic instances of minor Hindu-Muslim tensions in the past but the last two years have seen a steady rise in hate speeches and the harassment of Muslims. It also listed out several recent incidents wherein tension escalated between the two communities in the region.
Demanding fair and free investigations into the murder, the committee also called for police protection for both Sameer and Shamseer’s families and administration’s help to Shamseer for restarting his work in Naragund, among their other demands.
Full report of the fact finding committee of Bahutva Karnataka:
Sameer Shahpur, a 19-year-old resident of Naragund taluk, Gadag district, was lynched by a mob on January 17, 2022. Around 7:30 PM on January 17, 2022, while he was returning home on a motorcycle with his 20- year-old friend, Shamseer Khan, they were attacked by the mob who were carrying lethal weapons. Due to a stroke of luck, despite being stabbed near his chest, Shamseer survived but continues to be in a hospital, dealing with acute mental trauma and wondering what to expect when he returns to Naragund.
From all accounts, the mob allegedly has allegiance to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal. The police have subsequently arrested four people, including Sanju Nalvade, who is a member of the Bajrang Dal. Sameer is survived by his parents, 2 brothers and a sister who live in a rented house. Sameer’s father works as a mason while his mother is a homemaker. Shamseer’s father is a small-time clothes merchant and mother is a homemaker.
Naragund has witnessed sporadic instances of minor Hindu-Muslim tensions in the past. However, the last two years have seen a steady rise in hate speeches and the harassment of Muslims, with the intensity peaking since November, 2021. In the last week of November, Azim, a college student was assaulted by a mob purportedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal. Subsequently, a group of people including an accused in Sameer’s murder, came to Azim’s house where a scuffle ensued and an FIR was filed against Azim.
Within a few days after this, Zayed, a 17-year-old student of Siddheswar Government College and the only Muslim in his class, was taken out of his classroom by a mob of 100-150 people, many of whom belonged to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The remaining members of the mob appeared to be from elsewhere. After being dragged for a few hundred metres, he escaped and rushed to the principal’s office seeking help and wanting to call his uncle from the Principal’s cell phone. The mob barged into the Principal’s office, continued beating up Zayed while hurling verbal abuses against his Muslim identity.
When Zayed’s uncles came to the college, they were also brutalised by the mob. The Principal failed to take any action against the perpetrators. On the contrary, the mob put knives in Zayed’s bag and accused him of having violent tendencies. The Fact-Finding team could not meet with the Principal despite repeated attempts to do so. Zayed is back in college now and when asked why he was possibly assaulted randomly, he said “Because I am Muslim.” However, neither any FIR has been filed for this incident, nor has the college administration or the police taken any steps to strongly condemn this incident.
On December 1, 2021, another mob of 100 odd people, again supposedly belonging to ABVP, chased a 15-year-old Muslim boy, Arbaaz from a central part of town to Maulana Azad School, of which he is a class 9 student. Maulana Azad Schools are government schools run by the Minority Welfare Department, Government of Karnataka. The mob continued beating up Arbaaz inside the school premises, and also attacked the teachers and a student called Abu Bakr who tried to protect him. An FIR has been filed on the incident and one arrest been so far. The arrested person belongs to the ABVP. The school principal, while complying with the fact-finding team, said “I don’t know who the perpetrators were. When asked if he has interest in finding out the reasons for such an attack in his school premises, he said “We don’t wish to know that. No illegal activities would be allowed.” When probed, it emerged that he had no basis to assume that Arbaaz was involved in any illegal activities.
Around January 6, 2022, three men, supposedly belonging to the RSS, came to the Lodigalli area of Naragund and harassed a middle-aged Muslim man called Hanif. The group returned to Lodigalli on their bikes on January 14, 2022 and began creating an atmosphere of unrest. Soon after a verbal exchange started between the bike riders and some Muslim men of the locality. Around 200 people came to the spot within a few minutes wielding lethal weapons with an intention to create fear among Muslims. There were around 40 men from the Muslim community. The police also came to the spot and four people – all belonging to the Muslim community - were arrested that day. An FIR was filed against some members of the Muslim community on fabricated grounds of defaming Hindu gods. However, nobody from the 200 odd mob of the Sangh parivar were arrested for this, some of whom involved in this incident were later arrested in the murder of Sameer Shahpur.
Following this, the Sangh Parivar group took out a rally to the police station and shouted slogans saying “India is for Hindus. Muslims have come from Pakistan to beg and to do labour.” This rally was taken out flouting the Government of Karnataka’s COVID protocol norms. Despite flouting COVID protocols and despite incendiary speeches against Muslims, no FIRs were filed against members of the Sangh parivaar for this incident.
On January 17, 2022, led by the Bajrang Dal leader, Sanju Nalvade, strong hate speeches against Muslims calling them “terrorists” were made. The speeches mentioned, “we will not spare them.” Despite having an FIR against Sanju, it is astounding how he was openly allowed to give such speeches. Another speaker in the rally, referred to Muslims as “dogs.”
Shouting slogans of “Jai Shree Ram”, the speeches by members of the Sangh Parivar also mentioned that “even the police is being protected by Bajrang Dal.” The death of Sameer and narrow escape of Shamseer are not isolated accidents. This is a consequence of systematic forms of atomised and targeted violence against Muslims fuelled by hate speeches. In all the cases in Naragund, the victims have been young Muslim boys including two school going boys, belonging to economically backward sections. The silence of the governing dispensation in the state gives a tacit sanction and emboldens the rowdy members of the Sangh Parivar, who have complete disregard for the law and the Constitution.
Our demands from the administration and the police:
- Fair and free investigation into the murder of Sameer and attack on Shamseer, and into the previous cases. 2. StrongPolice action against hate speeches that sends a signal. 3. Arrest of all offenders and a thorough investigation into the operation of organisations that have facilitated the series of hate speeches and hate crimes. 4. End of political patronage to organisations and individuals committing hate speeches and hate crimes against Muslims. 5. Police protection for both Sameer and Shamseer’s families, and administration’s help to Shamseer for restarting his work in Naragund. 6. Ensure adequate compensation to Sameer’s family as per law. 7. Prevention of dropout from educational institutions due to hate speeches and hate crimes. 8. Safety in educational institutions for minorities and women. 9. Arrangements for the overall security of Muslims.
Members of the Bahutva Karnataka Fact Finding team:
- Akash Bhattacharya, Academic / Activist, Bangalore.
- Mohammed Irshad, Social Activist, Mangalore.
- Rajendran Narayanan, Academic / Activist, Bangalore.
- Shabeer Ahmad, Social Activist, Mangalore.
- Sheikh Zakeer Hussain, Journalist, Bangalore.
- Siddharth Joshi, Researcher, Bangalore.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
