Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Sep 30: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal on Wednesday September 30 demanded the arrest of Kannada writer and rationalist Prof K S Bhagwan for making controversial remarks on Hindu gods and accused the state government and police of supporting him.

Addressing a press meet at the VHP office, VHP provincial working president M B Puranik said, "Being an educated professor, Bhagwan is making cheap remarks against Rama, Krishna and other deities and on Bhagavad Gita. Though FIR has been filed, he has not been arrested.

"VHP demands his immediate arrest. An inquiry should also be done. Because of the support of chief minister Siddaramaiah, the state government and the police, he is able to make such remarks so audaciously. The chief minister is dividing the people in the name of Ahinda, and it is a strategy."

"If the Bible, the Quran or the Guru Granth Sahib is insulted, the consequences would be great and beyond prediction. But here, complaints have been filed in 30 places and FIRs filed in two police stations, but Bhagwan is still not arrested. The police should arrest him immediately. He should be stopped from making such derogatory statements, or it would lead to unwanted consequences in society," he warned.

When reporters pointed out that even RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat faces such allegations of hate speech, Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell replied, "Police had been to Kalladka Bhat's house to question him, but he was not available. We demand immediate arrest of Prof Bhagwan."

M B Puranik further said that VHP condemns the allegations against Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala and Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade made by Nagarika Seva Trust and its demand to bring the Kshetra under government control.

"VHP strongly condemns the constant attempts being made to insult Dharmadhikari of Kshree Dharmasthala. The work which government cannot do in the field of religious, social, economic, health and rural development is being done by Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari.

"The Temple should not be nationalized. Having worked in the religious endowment deparment, I have seen how government-owned temples are maintained. Criticising the sacred place of Dharmasthala and the Dharmadhikari is not acceptable," he said, adding that there has been no violation of law on the part of Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala and its Dharmadhikari.

Commenting on the rape charges against Sri Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji of ShreeRamachandrapura Math, he said, "There are a number criticisms against Ramachandrapura Math. Such criticism insults the Ramachandrapura Peetha, and VHP condemns it. The case is in court and truth will come out, till then such criticism should stop. Public discussion on the issue is not good till truth comes out."

On the controversial Yettinahole project, he said, "Before executing the work, the government should have collected opinions of experts and the public, but work has been started without doing this. This is misuse of government money, hence work should be stopped. After consulting experts and the public, the government can take any decision it wants."

Jagadish Shenava, Bhujanga Kulal and others were present.