Hubballi, Sep 22 (IANS): The Karnataka Police have booked a case against Sri Rama Sena founder Pramod Muthalik for hate speech against people of other religions, police said on Friday.

The case had been lodged with the Hubballi Upanagara police station under the IPC Sections 153 (A) for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race and 295 (A) for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings.

The complaint in this regard has been lodged by Assistant Commissioner of the City Corporation Chandrashekara Gowda.

Muthalik had delivered the hate speech at the Idgah Maidan during Ganesh idol immersion procession. Earlier, the celebration of Ganesh festival at the Hubballi Idgah Maidan was opposed by the Anjuman-e-Islam, a religious body in the court. However, the court had quashed the petition. The civic body had permitted the Ganesh festival to be celebrated for three days in Idgah Maidan.

Talking to the media, Muthalik had stated those who oppose Ganesh festival are anti-nationals. “The ill-intention of Anjuman organisation has come out in the open. They conspired to partition the country. Hindu community has the capacity to install the Ganesh statue in mosques. Even the prayers could be disrupted. We will approach the court not to permit namaz at Rani Channamma Idgah maidan. This is not Pakistan or personal property,” he had stated.

The Ganesh statue was installed at the Idgah Maidan on September 19 and immersed in waterbody on September 21.