Video of Rajyotsava awardee Mohandas Shenoy's comments on Muslims sparks outrage on social media
Mangaluru: A viral video of this year's Kannada Rajyotsava awardee Argodu Mohandas Shenoy making derogatory remarks about the Muslim community has sparked debate on social media.
The video clip from a Yakshagana presentation shows the artiste in the lead role of the episode, Vikramaditya, played by Argodu Mohandas Shenoy, belittling the community while speaking to a character resembling a Muslim.
Argodu is heard in the clip telling the Muslim, "This is the way your religion functions, changing everything… We write from left to right, you write from right to left… While we read the scriptures, you shout the name of Allah… What would we understand this to mean? That you aim to change everything, claiming that we did not say anything… But then, why have you not changed the place of eating?"
The artiste making the comments was confirmed to be 72-year-old Shenoy by four senior Yakshagana artistes, who wished to remain anonymous, when contacted by Vartha Bharati. Shenoy allegedly has been repeating such statements whenever he presents the character on stage. A fifth individual, who claimed to be associated with the art form for atleast two decades, also told Vartha Bharati has also confirmed the artiste making defamatory remarks in indeed Argodu Mohandas Shenoy and that the person presenting the character of the Muslim man in the episode was Ramesh Bhandary, a senior artiste from Badagutittu, the northern school Yakshagana.
The video clip has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with netizens expressing their anger regarding the statements made by the Yakshagana artiste in the role of Vikramaditya.
When contacted for comments, however, Shenoy said that he had not seen the video clip. Shenoy reportedly retired as a Yakshagana artiste two years ago.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
