The ABVP activists foil the attempt by the gang of hate mongers promoted by Amnesty International India to convert Bengaluru into another JNU
R Guruprasad
After Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), it is now the turn of Amnesty International. The hate speech campaign is spreading across the country like cancer. The worst part of it is that those who make hate speeches are hailed as ‘heroes’ and those who oppose it are billed as ‘traitors’! Probably, no country faces such a situation where those shouting slogans against the country are glorified in the media by pseudo intellectuals and secularists!
Amnesty International, an NGO, organised a pro-Kashmir seminar, ‘Broken Families’ at United Theological College, Benson Town in Bengaluru on August 13 between 7 to 8.30 pm. Amnesty claimed that it was merely a cultural programme and interactive discussion on peace and justice in Kashmir and invited three families from Jammu & Kashmir who were to share human rights violations faced by them with the rest of India. The event was also supposed to be part of a three-city tour of select families, covering Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. What was surprising was that Kashmiri Pandits were not initially part of the programme and were accommodated only at the last minute.
During the programme, a former journalist RK Mattoo, said that while Amnesty believed in listening to Kashmiri Muslims, they made no effort to know the other side of the story especially the sufferings of the Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to flee their homes and how Indian Army was the most disciplined army in the world. This sane statement was objected by many in the audience who raised slogans like–‘azaadi’. It is also said that the Kashmiri rapper MC Kash returned without performing. As he left the venue, a group of youngsters followed him, screaming ‘azaadi’.
As the news about hate speech spread, some of the brave members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) immediately rushed to the spot and democratically condemned the hate India speech.
On the same day, Shri Jayaprakash, organising secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bengaluru unit, gave a written complaint alleging that certain representatives of the Amnesty International India and some participants of the cultural programme and some others indulged in anti-national songs and slogans and criticised the role of Indian army. The complainant demanded legal action against all those persons.
It took almost two days for Bengaluru police to register an FIR against the programme organisers, the Amnesty International, that too without naming anyone.
Meanwhile, on August 16, hundreds of ABVP activists gathered in front of the Bengaluru city police commissioner's office demanding arrest of the organisers. Instead of meeting the activists, who merely wanted to submit a memorandum, the city police showed it's brutality by mindlessly beating the innocent students, a majority of them were girls.
All that the students requested was action against hate India campaigners, but they ended up becoming the victims. The students were detained by the Police and refused permission to meet the Police Commissioner. Agitated ABVP activists headed to Freedom Park but were again stopped by police and beaten up. The Congress government in Karnataka showed its ugly side as to how it supports hate India campaigners but abuses the pro-India patriots.
Meanwhile, the city police claimed that since it was an indoor function, the event didn't require any prior permission. Let the police be reminded that it is the same city police which had refused permission to VHP leader Dr Pravin Togadia. In a release, the police said since it was brought to their notice, certain police persons were deployed during the function.
During the course of the function, it appeared that an argument took place among the members of the audience regarding the action taken by Indian army in Kashmir. “Later towards the end of the programme, a group of
persons who were among the audience raised slogans seeking ‘azaadi’. When the situation was getting volatile, the organisers suspended the programme and the police there dispersed the
people.
After obtaining legal opinion, an FIR was registered on the complaint given by Sri Jayaprakash on August 15, 2016 in J.C. Nagar Police Station under sections 142, 143, 147, 124A & 153A r/w 149 IPC against the representatives of Amnesty International India and others and investigation was taken up. In view of the contents of the complaint, investigation of the case has been entrusted to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, J.C. Nagar Sub-division. During the course of investigation, all possible evidences including video footage will be collected and examined and appropriate legal action will be taken against the perpetrators of the alleged offence,” the police statement added.
Meanwhile, the BJP state unit president BS Yeddyurappa severely criticised the police action against the ABVP activists. He said, “It is a cruel irony that police have resorted to lathicharge on patriotic students who were shouting nationalistic slogans but let off those who shouted anti-national slogans. I urge the police to identify the individuals who shouted anti-national slogans and file FIR against them. ABVP is right in all respects to protest against anti-national elements. They were protesting peacefully. The students had not taken law into their hands. Resorting to lathicharge was wrong. The police should immediately tender an unconditional apology. n
