Women’s rights activists, lawyers and students gathered in front of the Director General of Police’s (DGP) office in Bengaluru against the rising hate speech in the state. They held placards and submitted a memorandum to the police asking why they were not taking action against the rising hate speeches in Karnataka.
“We, concerned citizens and civil society organisations from Bangalore are deeply shocked and disturbed at the series of incidents of hate speech against Muslims especially Muslim women reported from rallies and public events in the recent past. Many of these people are repeat offenders. Pramod Muthalik has earlier also called for an economic boycott of Muslim shops and vendors," the memorandum said.
It further listed several instances of hate speech by Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik, Minister of Higher Education CN Ashwath Narayana and others. During a public rally in Bagalkot on February 19, Pramod Muthalik said "We clearly know what is happening in Karnataka, and I have a solution. If we lose one Hindu girl to love jihad, we must trap and lure 10 Muslim women in retaliation."
“The statement is absolutely demeaning to women. What does he think women and our bodies are? Women’s bodies have always been the site where identity politics have been played. Leaders of particular communities think that women’s bodies are their property. So he is standing there and talking about women’s bodies as if they are his. Why are the police not taking any action against such inflammatory, sexist and communal statements?” asked Madhu Bhushan, a women’s rights activist.
Madhu Bhushan along with a few other protesters met with the Inspector General of Police (Public Grievances and HR), Devajyoti Ray who claimed that the police cannot register a suo motu FIR. “What the police are saying is wrong. In all cognisable cases, police can register an FIR on their own. Suo motu FIRs were registered against Chetan Ahimsa, Amulya and Arudra during the National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests. The Supreme Court in Shaheen Abdulla versus Union of India had also directed three state governments to register FIR suo motu on cases of hate speech,” the group said.