An altercation in Karnataka's Bengaluru between a group of people and a shopkeeper on Sunday, allegedly over playing religious music during the Islamic call to prayer, known as 'Azaan', has sparked fresh controversy in the southern state with the BJP accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led government of failing to maintain law and order.


The assault, which occurred on Sunday evening at Siddannagalli in Cubbonpet area, unfolded within the jurisdiction of the Halasuru Gate police station. According to the police, the altercation arose when the shopkeeper played a song on high volume during the time of Azaan, which apparently angered a group of youths belonging to the minority community, news agency PTI reported. 


The confrontation, captured on CCTV footage that has since gone viral, depicts a group of youths confronting the shopkeeper over the music. The situation escalated into a heated argument, with one of the youths grabbing the shopkeeper's collar. Subsequently, the shopkeeper was dragged out of the shop and physically assaulted.






The shopkeeper, who was attacked, narrated the incident on Monday, stating, "Around 6:15 pm, I was playing a bhajan. Four-five people came and said it was time for Azaan and if you play it, we would beat you. I told them there was still some time for Azaan." He further added, "They threatened to beat me up and when I went in front of them, one of them held my neck, and they all beat me up together. They threatened to stab me with a knife."






The shopkeeper claimed that the accused were involved in a similar incident at a tea stall in the area previously.


When asked about the audio playing, the shopkeeper remarked that "Hanuman Chalisa was playing at that time", adding that the attackers were locals.


Bengaluru Row: Three Accused Arrested, Police Say 'No Substantial Proof' For 'Hanuman Chalisa' Claim


According to news agency PTI, three men were taken into custody on Monday, as reported by the police. The suspects, aged between 20 and 25 years, were apprehended in connection with the incident.


While the shopkeeper says he was playing 'Hanuman Chalisa' when he was attacked, police stated that there was no substantial proof to support this allegation, as it was not mentioned in the complaint. The FIR registered by the police stated that the altercation was over the playing of loud music.


A senior police officer stated, "Based on the complaint, we have registered an FIR at Halasuru police station and arrested three men in connection with the incident." The FIR has been lodged under sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, PTI reported.


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Bengaluru Row: BJP Slams Karnataka Govt, Accuses Police Of Omitting Details


Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, criticised the incident, attributing it to the Congress government's "appeasement politics." He posted on social media platform X, stating, "This yet another glaring example of how Congress government has let the anti-national elements capture Bengaluru leading to complete collapse of law and order."






Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya echoed similar sentiments, alleging, "The emboldening of such elements is a direct result of Congress’s appeasement politics." Surya urged the Chief Minister to take action against the perpetrators and update the state on the progress of the case.




Surya also met the shopkeeper on Monday and told the media, "Yesterday evening, Mukesh, was conducting his business. He tells me that every evening, he had a practice of playing devotional songs on his speaker...Yesterday, a few miscreants came to his shop and started an argument with him and demanded him to switch off and stop playing the Hanuman Chalisa. When he refused, he was pulled out and 6-7 miscreants thrashed and attacked. You can see the injuries that he has sustained. He has suffered grievous injuries..."


"Immediately, Mukesh and the neighbouring shopkeepers tried to reach the nearest Police station to register an FIR. Even after submitting a detailed written complaint, the local Police did not register an FIR. It was registered only after the intervention of PC Mohan, myself, and local BJP leaders that the FIR was registered at a belated stage. The locals here are apprehensive that the Police have filed a diluted FIR and added names of certain people who may not be involved in the crime itself...Only 3 people have been attested and apprehended by the Police, we have demanded that by tomorrow morning all those accused being seen on CCTV must be arrested immediately...We are demanding from the Bengaluru City Commissioner to conduct the investigation in an unbiased and professional manner," he remarked, as quoted by ANI.






Speaking to PTI, Surya alleged that the police omitted the main reason behind the conflict, "At the time of registration of FIR, Mukesh narrated the chain of events to the police because he didn't know how to read Kannada properly. Then, police condense it into the FIR. However, it came to light today that the FIR doesn't contain the main ingredient that he was playing Hanuman Chalisa on his phone due to which the attack took place."






"This factual matrix has not found a place in the FIR that was filed by the police yesterday," he said referring to the Hanuman Chalisa portion.


Attacked Shopkeeper's Father Says Conflict Arose Over Volume 


Gopal Singh, father of the shopkeeper who was attacked by a group of over five men for playing devotional songs told ANI, "I was not present here but my son told me that he was playing devotional songs at that time. They had come to fight with him over the sound, else we don't know each other. The sound was low only. They beat him up. We want justice."


He further stressed that the conflict arose over the volume quoting the attackers as saying, "Ae sound dheere kar re (Lower the volume of sound) and then started beating him".






The Karnataka government is yet to respond to the BJP's allegations over the incident.