Karnataka BJP leaders, including member of Parliament (MP) Shobha Karandlaje, and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA), MP Renukacharya and Basangouda Patil Yatnil, are facing a complaint against them “for their bad intention to harm the Islamic community”.
The petition was filed by J Aslam Basha, who is the Chairman of the Minority Department of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. In his petition, he has sought to dismiss these legislators. The petition was sent to various authorities including the Union Home Ministry, the Karnataka government, the National Commission for Human Rights, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, among others.
Complaint have been filed against BJP Leaders @ShobhaBJP @MPRBJP #BasangoudaPatilYatnal & their associates in public, social media and other medias by @TNCCMinority Chairman @JAslamBasha For their bad intention to harm the Islamic Community
— Tamil Nadu Congress Minority Department (@TNCCMinority) April 15, 2020
#Complaint #CoranaJihad #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/8s2wf4Bi8u
The petition states that the leaders were guilty of an offence that promotes enmity between different groups, which, according to the Representation of People Act, 1951, is grounds for dismissal.
The petition stated that Shobha Karandlaje “has termed the people of (the) Islamic community who has participated in the three-day event in March by the Tablighi Jamaat as ‘corona jihadis’”.
The petition also said that the BJP MLA MP Renukacharya made the statement “Tablighis evading COVID-19 test should be shot dead”. Renukacharya is also the political secretary to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
Further, the petition stated that BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal called for shooting people dead, whoever do not quarantine themselves after attending the Tablighi Jamaat convention.
It also called for the revocation of anticipatory bail granted to Shobha and for her to be remanded in judicial custody as she is a ‘repeat offender’. She is accused in another case of defamation. The case is pending in Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions court, filed by the Popular front of India (PFI).
The petition also called for the Intelligence and Union Home Ministry to monitor their movements to ‘prevent further damages towards the Islamic community’.
Incidentally, Karnataka had tested all members who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event, even when they did not strictly come under the criteria for testing. The Chief Minister had also warned of taking strict action against those who blame the entire Muslim community for ‘isolated events’.