Nasir Pasha, General Secretary, Popular Front Karnataka has demanded immediate stringent actions against the leaders of the Sangh Parivar in the case of the murder of a Muslim Boy Sameer Shahpur in Naragunda of Gadag district, Karnataka.
The Police registered a case of murder and rioting (FIR 13/2022) at the police station and arrested four accused Sanju Nalvade, Mallikarjun alias GundyaMuttappaHiremath, Channabasappa alias Channu Chandrashekar Akki, and Sakrappa Hanumanthappa Kakanur. They have invoked different sections of the Indian Penal Code: 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), and 307 (murder attempt), 302 (murder).
Sameer Shahapur died in the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi on January 17. He was attacked by a mob of around 15 persons who are alleged to be members of the Bajrang Dal and RSS. The mob had attacked Sameer (19) and his friend Shamsher Khan Pathan (21), with weapons near their shop in Nargund on January 16 night, on the same day speeches abusing the Muslim community were delivered by the RSS leader Sanjunelvade, ex-secretary RSS, Naragund Taluk (RSS Leader) allegedly inside the Nargund Police station premises. A protest rally was organised by Sanghparivar in Naragund where slogans were raised against Muslims and the police reportedly acted as the bystander.
The same Monday evening, a mob allegedly stopped the duo Sameer and Shamsheer, who were on a motorbike, and attacked them with rods and knives. When the victims tried to get up and flee, they were allegedly trodden by the attackers who also hit them with rods and knives (Trishool).
The attack was recorded on CCTV cameras nearby. Passers-by took the two youth to a hospital in Nargund. Police later shifted them to KIMS. Shamsher had suffered injuries on his back.
Hundreds of people thronged at the funeral of Sameer and marched along with the coffin to the burial ground hailing him as a martyr with slogans like “AssalamAssalam, Aye Shaheed Assalam” (Peace be upon you, O martyr) even as the customary call of “Allah o Akbar (“God is greatest”) rent the air.
The Popular Front in Karnataka condemned the incident and has raised its legal support. The treasurer ShahidNaseer visited the funeral says “Hindutva hopes to terrorise people through such brutal acts of violence on innocents. They will not succeed. They will see people coming forward fearlessly to resist their politics of hate”.
“Inspired by the provocative speeches of their leaders, it is evident that the barbaric attack on the Muslim youth was executed by the perpetrators. In this regard, the police department must immediately fashion their tasks to arrest the assailants and their leaders who have prompted the heinous crime. The atrocities perpetrated by the Sanghi goons targeting the Muslim community in the region must and should be bought to an end. We strongly demand that the government should announce Rs 25 lakhs as compensation to the families of the two youths who were attacked”, said Naseer Pasha, the General Secretary, Popular Front Karnataka.
The treasurer ShahidNaseer says that PFI has extended support to the family of the victim and will strongly uphold the legal fight until justice is delivered. “People on the ground are not radicalized in Karnataka, they live with peace and brotherhood. Organizations like Bajrang Dal and RSS deliver speeches and fuel hatred in the society which results in such heinous crimes. Sameer is a Shaheed. He has been martyred for being a Muslim. We have ensured full support to his family and we will keep resisting against the hate being fuelled by the Hindutva Organizations”, Shahid.
“A conclave was organized by the Hate Mongers a couple of days ago also. The Sangh Parivar has been constantly trying to spread communal hatred in Naragund and to stir up goodwill. Some colleges are creating unwarranted controversies around the topic of headscarves and violating the fundamental religious freedom of Muslims. The Muslim represented in the Assembly is silent. Nearly 1 crore Muslims lives in Karnataka, the Sangh Parivar is trying to make radicalize the youth here and all over the country. The current CM is for 1 year trying to justify his affection towards the Hindutva so he could continue to be the Chief Minister in the coming years. They are targeting Muslims to furtherance their political agenda”, Shahid adds.
Violence by Hindutva mobs targeting members of the minority communities including Muslims and Christians is being reportedly hiking in Karnataka. Many controversial issues have been recently seen surfacing the social media portals. However, the National media is yet to cover the Testimonies from the ground. Groups there blamed the incumbent government’s inaction for the Hindutva Violence in the name of “Forced Conversions” and “Love Jihad”.
