Karnataka Police Pursue Maulvi for Inciting Mob Violence
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Synopsis
Karnataka Police are actively searching for an Islamic religious teacher who incited a violent mob attack on a police station in Mysuru over a contentious social media post. The suspect's hate speech has raised significant concerns, and authorities are taking swift action against those involved.
Key Takeaways
- Hate Speech leads to mob violence in Mysuru.
- Mufti Mustaq Maqbooli is the suspect in question.
- Police identify 50-60 individuals involved in violence.
- Legal actions are being initiated against inciters of violence.
- Government officials are emphasizing the need for law and order.
Bengaluru, Feb 12 (NationPress) The Karnataka Police initiated a search on Wednesday for an Islamic religious teacher who delivered hate speech that incited a mob to attack a police station in Mysuru city due to a controversial social media post.
According to sources, the suspect identified as Mufti Mustaq Maqbooli issued remarks regarding the defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly elections.
The police have obtained a video clip of Maqbooli that has gone viral, featuring highly inflammatory statements that incite extreme violence.
Authorities have identified between 50 to 60 individuals who participated in the violence, including stone pelting. They confirmed that all would be called in for questioning, and legal actions will commence shortly, based on the CCTV footage.
According to police sources, most of those engaged in stone pelting were locals. A dedicated team led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) has been formed to investigate the incident.
Karnataka's Home Minister, G. Parameshwara, announced on Tuesday that directives have been issued to apprehend those who incited violence against the Udayagiri police station in Mysuru.
“The police had detained the person responsible for the objectionable social media post celebrating the AAP's defeat. However, around 200 individuals gathered at the police station, demanding the accused's release. Their actions escalated into violence, prompting the police to utilize tear gas to restore order,” he stated.
Previously, the Karnataka Police detained an individual concerning a controversial social media post making communal remarks against a specific community while celebrating the AAP's defeat in the New Delhi Assembly elections, which led to unrest in Mysuru.
The detainee, a resident of Kalyannagar in Mysuru, had posted derogatory comments targeting Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal, and made provocative communal statements against a certain religious group. This post gained traction on social media on Monday evening.
By late Monday night, members of the minority community assembled outside the Udayagiri police station, demanding action against the accused.
Despite police efforts to calm the crowd, including involving religious leaders, the situation escalated into violence, with the mob throwing stones at the police station and attacking the DCP's official vehicle.
They shouted slogans, and when the situation spiraled out of control, the police resorted to lathi-charge and subsequently fired tear gas.
Additional police forces were deployed, and senior officers along with local political figures appealed to the crowd, assuring them that action would be taken against the accused. This eventually led to the mob withdrawing their protest.
While the police have managed to regain control, tension continues to linger in the area.
