Security beefed up in Karnataka's Srirangapatna over VHP's call for puja at mosque
Mandya(PTI): Security has been heightened in Srirangapatna, the erstwhile capital of 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan in the district, following Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) call to perform puja at the Jamia mosque, claiming that it was built after razing a Hanuman temple.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the temple town under section 144 of the CrPC to prevent any protest or procession from taking place.
Besides district police force, contingents of Karnataka State Reserved Police have also been deployed. The roads have been barricaded and security pickets have been erected in the town.
Wearing saffron scarves and holding saffron flags, the Bajrang Dal and VHP activists on motorcycles raised 'Jai Sriram' slogans. Fearing backlash, many shopkeepers around the shrine downed shutters for the day.
Members of fringe Hindu outfits have called for a protest march to the mosque.
However, authorities have denied permission for it.
State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has given directions to the police to take all the measures to ensure peace and public order in view of VHP's 'Srirangapatna Chalo' campaign.
Meanwhile, the Sriram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik condemned the restrictions saying they should be imposed on 'them'.
"There is a Ganapati temple, a temple tank and a well inside the mosque. Despite all these, mosques running Madrassas and offering Namaz there is wrong. It is 'they' who should be stopped. They should be thrown out. I condemn the BJP government which is trying to stop our protest," Muthalik told reporters in Kalaburagi on Saturday.
The right wing organisations have been claiming that the Jamia mosque was an Anjaneya Temple, which Tipu Sultan had destroyed to build a mosque in its place.
The outfits have submitted a memorandum to the district authorities seeking a survey of the mosque and take steps to return the 'Anjaneya Temple' to Hindus if their claim was found to be true.
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Indore Congress woman councillor refuses to sing Vande Mataram, triggers row
Indore (PTI): A controversy has erupted after a woman councillor of Congress refused to sing Vande Mataram, citing Islamic beliefs, during a discussion on the Indore Municipal Corporation’s budget.
The refusal by Fauzia Sheikh Alim to sing the national song on Wednesday prompted councillors from the ruling BJP to rush to the chairman’s podium and raise slogans.
Amid the uproar, Chairman Munnalal Yadav directed Alim to leave the House.
The Congress councillor later told reporters that her religion does not allow her to sing ‘Vande Mataram' - a Sanskrit phrase meaning “I bow to thee, Mother”.
Alim said she enjoys religious freedom under the Constitution, and no one can force her to sing Vande Mataram.
As the controversy escalated, Alim said she respects the national song and will continue to do so.
She said that she had stood up to speak at the municipal corporation meeting to raise the issue of contaminated drinking water, but in an attempt to distract the House from the more fundamental issues, BJP councillors asked her to sing Vande Mataram first.
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava described the Congress councillor’s refusal to sing Vande Mataram as unfortunate and alleged that she deliberately arrives late to the municipal corporation meeting so as not to participate in the mass singing of the national song.
Municipal Corporation Leader of the Opposition and Congress councillor Chintu Chouksey distanced himself from the controversy, stating that the party has no concern with Alim’s “personal opinion” on Vande Mataram.
“Vande Mataram is ingrained in every citizen of India. Singing the national song should be mandatory for every citizen,” he added.
Written in 1875 and later included in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel "Anandamath" (1882), ‘Vande Mataram’ became a rallying cry during the freedom movement.
Vande Mataram was first published in the literary magazine “Bangadarshan” as part of Chatterjee's Anandamath.
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