Case against 2 BJP MLAs for ‘forcing’ students to chant Jai Shri Ram at school

An FIR has been filed against five people, including two Karnataka BJP legislators, Vedavyas Kamath and Y Bharath Shetty, for allegedly inciting people and forcing students of a school in Mangaluru to chant Jai Shri Ram.

The management of St Gerosa English Higher Primary School said Kamath initiated a protest in front of the school without seeking clarification from them. It is alleged that students were forced to chant Jai Shri Ram.

The case has also been filed against two corporators, Sandeep Garodi and Bharath Kumar, and Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell in the matter.

The protesters were also accused of instigating enmity between the Christian and Hindu communities by directing slogans against Christianity during the protest.

Given the sensitivity to communal issues in Dakshina Kannada, the district in which Mangaluru is situated, such actions could have created law and order issues, police said.

Therefore, an FIR has been lodged, seeking stringent action against those who protested in front of the school.The case has been registered under sections 143, 153A, 295A, 505(2), 506 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

This article is originally published on  https://www.indiatoday.in/india/karnataka/story/karnataka-bjp-mlas-case-jai-shri-ram-chant-convent-school-protest-2502302-2024-02-15