Bengaluru: Principal, 7 Students Arrested Over Offensive Skit About Ambedkar, Dalits

The skit became controversial after the makers used problematic phrases including 'Beer Ambedkar' (instead of BR Ambedkar).

The accused have been arrested and produced before the magistrate (Image for representation)

Chennai: Nine people including the principal, organiser of a festival and seven students were arrested for putting on a skit that allegedly defamed Dr BR Amedkar and Dalits during the college festival at Jain Deemed-to-be University, Bengaluru on Monday. 

On February 4, a group of students 'The Delroys Boys' from the University performed a skit on the reservation. The skit showed a man from a Dalit background dating a woman from a dominant caste. However, the skit became controversial after the makers used problematic phrases including 'Beer Ambedkar' (instead of BR Ambedkar) during the show, said a report on The News Minute. 

On February 9, after the skit reportedly went viral on social media, Aakshay Bansode, State Member of the Vanchit Bahujan Yuva Aaghadi gave a complaint before SP. 

Following this, the nine people were arrested under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act including intentionally insulting or intimidating with intent to humiliate a member of SC or ST within public view and abuse any member of SC or ST by caste name within public view, as per a report on The Indian Express. 

The DCP (South) P Krishnakant said that all the accused have been arrested and produced before the magistrate. They are also remanded in custody for four days, as per a report on Times of India. 

On February 10, 'The Delroys Boys' apologized on their Instagram page stating that they tried to give a social message but the skit became unacceptable. 

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe has demanded the University to provide a detailed report on the matter while Bengaluru University Postgraduate and Research Students’ Union has called for a bandh on Tuesday.