luckyhub777 Karnataka: Vokkaliga Seer Booked Over ‘No Voting Rights For Muslims’ Remark

Karnataka seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji Photo: X/@TimesAlgebraIND Karnataka seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji Photo: X/@TimesAlgebraIND

Karnataka's Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji has been booked for his controversial comments suggesting denial of voting rights to Muslims.

In a speech during a protest organized by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh on Tuesday, Kumara Chandrashekaranatha suggested that a law should be enacted to strip Muslims of their voting power.

The FIR has been registered by the police based on a complaint by a social worker. "We have registered a case against him (Swamiji) under section 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita", police said.

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What did the seer say?

In the wake of the Waqf properties row, the seer urged everyone to unite to protect farmers and their land and said that a law should be brought in where Muslim community doesn't have the voting power. He also criticised the Waqf Board, saying that taking someone else's land is against “Dharma”.

"Everyone should think and see to it that the Waqf board itself is not there....as politicians do things for the sake of votes, a law should be brought in where Muslims community don't have the voting power....it should be certainly done. In Pakistan, they have done it, others don't have power to vote there. Similarly, even in India, if we ensure that they (Muslims) don't have a right to vote, then they will stay to themselves, and everyone can remain peacefully," Kumara Chandrashekaranatha said.

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However, later apologising for his controversial statement, he termedit a “slip of the tongue” and said, "My clear opinion regarding my yesterday's statement is, Muslims are also citizens of this country, they too have voting rights like others. I express my wholehearted regret if Muslim brothers are upset by my slip of tongue statement yesterday. I request not to develop this issue and to end it here."

Stating that he has no objections to the Waqf board protecting their land by giving the government accurate information as to how the land belongs to them, the seer in today's statement said, "but, farmers who have been cultivating in a land for generations cannot be evicted in the name of Waqf property."

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a resolution to extend the Joint Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill's term until the end of the 2025 Budget Session.

JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal mentioned that during the committee's meeting on Wednesday, it was revealed that disputes over Waqf property ownership exist in about six states. Given these ongoing disputesluckyhub777, the decision was made to extend the committee's term.