Deeming Srikanth Poojari a 'kar sevak', BJP in Karnataka is protesting his arrest. He has 16 cases against him including charges of gambling, bootlegging.
Published Jan 04, 2024 | 7:32 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 04, 2024 | 7:32 PM
BJP protest against the Congress arresting the Hindu activist in a 31-year-old rioting case. (Supplied)
The long arm of the law finally caught up with Srikanth Poojari on 29 December 2023, 31 years after a communal riot rocked Karnataka’s Hubbali.
He wasn’t the only one.
Poojari was only one among 36 others that the police, in Hubballi-Dharwad Commissionerate alone, went after as part of clearing Long Pending Cases (LPCs). Yet, all the hullaballoo around Poojari’s arrest would have one believe that his arrest was a one-off case.
Poojari, now 58, was among 36 people — including 10 Muslims — arrested for various offences as part of the Hubbali-Dharwad police’s drive to close long-pending cases.
Soon after his arrest, the Opposition BJP staged statewide protests, demanding his immediate release. “What is the need to arrest a Hindu activist in a case that was filed 31 years ago?” BJP state president BY Vijayendra asked, while addressing a protest rally. The party, however, did not take cognisance or demand the release of 35 others.
At least six people were killed in the Hubbali riot on 5 December 1992, a day before Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was demolished. The BJP has termed Poojari an “elderly kar sevak”, arrested ahead of the opening of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi even accused the Congress of stooping “to the low level of creating riots and destroying the health of the society!” His tweet on X, carried the hashtag #RamaVirodhiCongress.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded on Wednesday, 3 January. Poojari’s arrest before the opening of the Ram Temple was coincidental, he said and released a list of all 36 arrested along with the alleged crimes on X. The temple is to be opened on 22 January.
The Chief Minister further highlighted the BJP singling out a “Hindu activist” arrested along with 35 others.
The list Siddaramaiah shared included Jaffar Sheik, Ataph Saheb, Jaffar Saheb, Mohammed Ali (arrested for theft); Azeem Ullal, Arif Hafeez Sheik, Noor Ahmed Naganur, and Khasim Saheb Hussain Saheb (cheating cases); Munna alias Abu Razaka for prostitution; and Abed Ali Khalasi allegedly involved in a robbery case.
The list also included a “secularly” named accused, Deepak Ronald Abbas, arrested in a dowry case.
The name of the alleged, rioter Srikanth Poojari, son of Krishna Poojari, figured 32nd on the list. The 36 people were arrested in theft, dowry, rioting, cheating, prostitution, narcotic offences, road rage, robbery, POCSO, and assault cases registered against them.
Incidentally, Poojari was denied bail given his antecedents and the number of cases against him. Poojari’s friend and another “kar sevak” Raju Dharmadasa, who was also arrested along with him was let off on bail. Poojari has a total of 16 cases against him as per the official list made public by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Siddaramaiah posted on X that besides rioting, Poojari was also involved in 16 more cases, such as illegal liquor sales, gambling, matka, and others.
“Srikanth Poojari, who flaunts himself as a devotee of Rama and a kar sevak in front of the public, is in fact a social miscreant in the eyes of the law. He is someone who uses religion as a shield to protect his criminal activities. If such individuals are not arrested and are allowed to roam freely, even Lord Rama cannot forgive this,” the Chief Minister stated.
“BJP leaders, who are protesting in support of a person facing allegations of involvement in 16 anti-social activities including illegal liquor sales, gambling, and matka, should openly declare their party’s support for all his alleged criminal actions, or publicly apologise and withdraw their protest,” he added.
Siddaramaiah sought to know if Poojari, the 32nd person on the list, should he be released just because he is a kar sevak, or arrested for being a suspect.
“The BJP’s protest is not against our government, but against the country’s law and constitution. If those involved in criminal activities claim to be protectors of religion and indulge in murder and extortion, will BJP leaders support them too,” the Chief Minister asked.
“The arrest of Srikanth Poojari during the inauguration of the Ram Mandir is merely a coincidence. While reviewing old cases, the police arrested him along with 36 others. There is neither revenge nor appeasement in this. The law has been enforced, and it has been done so in the interest of the public,” Siddaramaiah explained.
Srikanth Poojari, who flaunts himself as a devotee of Rama and a kar sevak in front of the public, is in fact a social miscreant in the eyes of the law. He is someone who uses religion as a shield to protect his criminal activities. If such individuals are not arrested and are… pic.twitter.com/2Xtf82Xwq8
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) January 3, 2024
Incidentally, a South First report earlier quoted Renuka Sukumar, the Commissioner of Hubballi-Dharwad Police, who explained the circumstances that had led to the arrest of Poojari.
“This case of rioting was declared by a Hubballi court as a long-pending case in 2006, and the court kept issuing non-bailable warrants (against Poojari and others) as and when the hearings came up as the police were unable to produce the accused before the court since the accused remained untraceable,” she said.
The court had also pulled up the police for not doing its job diligently. The district police, during the year-end, attempted to execute the warrants and started searching for the absconding suspects.
“All these cases were long pending cases and one among them was of the arrested Srikanth Poojari,” Sukumar said.
“These arrests were a routine part of police work,” the officer said, adding there were no instructions from above to arrest him. “It was based on the non-bailable warrants issued by the court,” she explained.
