Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, have been booked by the police for making alleged provocative statements on social media following the communal riots in Nagamangala town, Mandya district. Both the leaders have been charged under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with "wanton provocation with the intent to cause a riot."
The complaints were filed by M Ramesha, a police officer attached to the intelligence wing of the Nagamangala Town police station. The complainant said that the accused’s social media posts were aimed at “inciting unrest” after communal violence erupted during a Ganesh idol immersion procession in the town on September 11.
Shobha is accused of sharing misleading photographs on her X account on September 13. The FIR claims that despite the situation being under control, Shobha posted photos from elsewhere and claimed they were from Nagamangala. She also shared pictures of a police officer hugging a Ganesha idol and falsely claimed that the idol had been "arrested." The police officer said that the post sought to “provoke societal unrest by presenting a false narrative of the events” in Nagamangala.
R Ashoka also faces accusations of posting unrelated videos on X, purportedly depicting violence in Nagamangala during the Ganesh Visarjan procession. The FIR claims that upon investigation, the footage was found to be unrelated to the incidents of violence on September 11 in the town. Ashoka's posts allegedly aimed to incite further communal tension by suggesting that the events were part of a broader communal conspiracy.
Ashoka had also claimed that pro-Pakistan slogans were raised during the Ganesh Visarjan violence in Nagamangala, demanding an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He alleged that banned organisations could be behind these incidents, further fueling communal unrest.
“Eyewitnesses have reported that three miscreants shouted "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans during the communal clash that took place last Wednesday night during the Ganesh Visarjan in Nagamangala town. This has strengthened suspicions that banned organisations might be involved in the communal unrest” Ashoka wrote on X.
He further claimed, "Following this, incidents such as the unruly display of the Palestinian flag by miscreants on a bike in Chikkamagaluru city, and attacks on Hindu youths for hoisting flags in Gandhi Nagar and Ahmad Nagar in Davanagere city, suggest that these provocative acts seem to be targeting the Ganesh festival."
"Similar incidents occurred during the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Temple. It appears that Hindu festivals, celebrations, and events are being specifically targeted by these disturbances, which seem to be driven by a large network of communal extremist organisations across the state," the Leader of Opposition alleged.
A communal clash broke out in Nagamangala in Mandya district during a Ganesh Chathurthi procession on the night of Wednesday, September 12, while it was passing near a mosque. Miscreants resorted to arson and stone pelting, prompting the police to impose prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
The clash occurred when the procession was passing close to Mysuru Road near Nagamangala Town. It is unclear who began pelting stones, but the situation soon turned chaotic and violent, prompting the police to deploy lathicharge multiple times.