Mukesh, the owner of a Hindu store in Bengaluru, Karnataka, was beaten up for playing the Hanuman Chalisa in his shop. The incident occurred on Jumma Masjid Road in the Siddanna Galli area on Sunday, March 17. Mukesh’s father, speaking to the media lamented that his son was brutally assaulted for simply playing Hanuman bhajans inside his own store.
He said that Mukesh, his elder son was playing the Bhajans softly inside the shop, yet he was thrashed by the Muslim youths. “When I reached, I saw Mukesh soaked in blood,” Gopal Singh told the media while demanding strict action against the perpetrators.
“I was not present here but my son told me that he was playing devotional songs at that time. In the evening we do puja, so obviously, he must have played bhajans only. I learnt that they came to fight with him. The sound was low only, however, they beat him up. We want justice…,” said Gopal Singh, father of Mukesh, who fell victim to an attack by a group of Islamists for upholding his religious convictions.
#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: "I was not present here but my son told me that he was playing devotional songs at that time. They had come to fight with him. The sound was low only. They beat him up. We want justice…," says Gopal Singh, father of the shopkeeper who was attacked… pic.twitter.com/4bZvXLQocN
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2024
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Hindu shop owner Mukesh also told the media how a group of local Muslims in the area attacked him and threatened to kill him if he failed to comply with their demands to stop playing Hindu devotional songs.
The Hindu shop owner, who spoke with ANI about what transpired, said that on Sunday, March 17, at around six o’clock in the evening, three or four local Muslims approached him and asked him to stop playing Hanuman bhajans inside the shop. When Mukesh refused to comply with their demands and inquired what the issues they were having, the Muslims said that it was time for their Azaan.
Mukesh added that he attempted to persuade them that there was still time for Azaan, but they refused to hear him and grabbed him by the neck. When Mukesh stepped out of his shop to confront them, the accused started beating him up and threatened to stab him with a knife, he said.
Mukesh responded in the positive when asked if he would be able to identify the accused. He said they were Muslim youths from the area.
#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: "I was playing Hanuman bhajan. 4-5 people came and said it is time for Azaan and if you play it we will beat you. They beat me and also threatened me that they would stab me with a knife," says the shopkeeper who was attacked by a group of over five… https://t.co/0ONOXqm2Sw pic.twitter.com/QaS7joDqe8
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2024
Bengaluru Hindu shop-owner attacked for playing Hanuman Chalisa near mosque, police deny communal angle
Notably, Halasuru Gate Police Station in charge in Bengaluru, Karnataka, while speaking to OpIndia had denied any communal angle in the matter. “The FIR has been registered, and three people have been arrested. Three main accused were arrested yesterday night and an FIR has been registered. Enquiry is going on. Suleiman, Shahnawaz and Rohit are the main accused. There is no communal angle. It was about playing a song near the masjid. They [the accused] were telling the complainant to lower the volume of the speakers. There was an altercation over this,” the Halasuru Gate Police Station incharge said.
When OpIndia asked about the alleged reluctance to register an FIR in the matter, the officer said, “No, we had immediately done an FIR, took action and conducted searches…but some people diverted the matter saying it was a Hindu-Muslim fight.”
Earlier it was reported that the Hindu victim submitted a complaint at Halasuru Gate Police Station in Bengaluru demanding that an FIR be registered. However, it was claimed that the police were reluctant to register an FIR against the accused. Following this, a large group of local traders gathered outside the police station and pressured the authorities to register an FIR. Subsequently, the police lodged an FIR and initiated an investigation.
Incidentally, CCTV footage of the incident went viral in which the 5 to 6 accused could be seen coming to the victim’s shop on Sunday evening.
𝐀 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐦𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐩𝐞𝐭, 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚.
— Girish Bharadwaj (@Girishvhp) March 18, 2024
Freedom of Religion only for minorities?… pic.twitter.com/ZxgHPuwiLd
Initially, a verbal argument ensues as seen in the video. The argument soon escalated to assault as the accused youths dragged the Hindu victim out of his shop and thrashed him. The footage shows the victim singlehandedly confronting the attackers. However, he was seen getting knocked to the ground.
