Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 20: An Islamic religious teacher has been arrested for allegedly delivering hate speech that led to a mob attacking a police station in Mysuru. The incident occurred after a controversial social media post about the Aam Aadmi Party's defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections.
The arrested individual, Mufti Mustaq Maqbooli, was taken into custody by the City Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Thursday, 11 days after the attack. Police had obtained a video clip of Maqbooli making highly provocative statements, which went viral and further aggravated the situation.
The controversy began when an individual, identified as Satish aka Panduranga, from Kalyannagar, Mysuru, posted a message mocking prominent political figures, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal. The post also made offensive communal comments targeting a specific religious group, which quickly spread on social media.
This led to a group from the minority community gathering outside the Udayagiri Police Station, demanding immediate action against Satish. Despite efforts by the police and religious leaders to calm the crowd, tensions escalated. The mob began pelting stones at the police station and attacked the official vehicle of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). The situation grew chaotic, and in response, police used a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Additional police forces were called in to restore order. Senior police officers, alongside local political leaders, appealed to the crowd, assuring them that action would be taken against the accused. Eventually, the protest was brought under control and the mob dispersed.
Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, strongly condemned the violent attack. Speaking about the incident, he said, "The law and order situation in Karnataka is deteriorating day by day. The recent incident in Mysuru is clear proof of this. Mysuru is known as the cultural capital of Karnataka and is also the Chief Minister's hometown. If miscreants are creating chaos even in such a place, it clearly indicates how much the law and order situation has collapsed in the state."
Joshi also condemned the attack on the Udayagiri police station and the assault on police officers. "It is ironic that such riots are happening in the Chief Minister's town," he remarked.
Authorities have now launched an investigation into the incident, with police working to ensure those responsible for the unrest are held accountable. Maqbooli’s arrest marks a significant development in the case, as authorities continue to probe the matter.