Massive protests erupted in Bengaluru’s Nagarathpete on Tuesday after a shopkeeper was brutally thrashed by a group of men for playing devotional music during the evening ‘Azaan’ on Sunday near the Siddanna Layout area.
While talking to the media, the shopkeeper said, “If something serious had happened to me in the incident that took place on Sunday, who would have been answerable? It feels good that people have come here to support me.”
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, met Mukesh, the shopkeeper, on Monday and blamed the “appeasement politics” by the ruling Congress government in Karnataka.
He said, “By tomorrow if the other three accused aren’t arrested, the BJP will call for a bandh in Nagarathpete and will protest outside the shop.”
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Tejasvi Surya also took part in the protests today. He had given a call to party workers to sport saffron shawls and chant Hanuman chalisa at Nagarathpete to protest against the incident.
By Monday night, three people were arrested for allegedly assaulting the shopkeeper. According to the FIR, an altercation broke out between Mukesh and the gang members over loud music being played on Sunday evening at Siddannagalli under the limits of Halasuru Gate police station.
In the purported CCTV footage of the incident, which has gone viral, a group of youth is seen confronting the shopkeeper over playing the ‘bhajan’ during Azaan time. It led to a heated argument between them with one of them grabbing the shopkeeper’s collar. When the victim tried to retaliate, they dragged the shopkeeper out of the shop and beat him up.
According to police, the shopkeeper played a song on high volume during the time of Azaan, which apparently irked the youth belonging to the minority community. They went to question the shopowner, leading to an argument. One of the youths started punching Mukesh and a fight ensued between them, PTI reported.
(With inputs from PTI)