Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Tuesday said the Kumta police would decide on arresting BJP MP from Uttara Kannada Ananth Kumar Hegde over his remarks on demolishing mosques in Sirsi, Bhatkal, and Srirangapatna, and uncharitable remarks on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“The police have already filed an FIR and are collecting evidence in this respect. The police will take the next course of action as per law,” the Home Minister told presspersons here on Tuesday. The Kumta police would decide whether he needs to be arrested or not, he added.
Mr. Hegde had at a party meeting on Saturday alleged that mosques in Srirangapatna, Sirsi, and Bhatkal were built on land where temples once existed and that the Hindu society had decided to bring them down. The Kumta police have booked a case against the MP for his remarks that could disturb the harmony of society.
Stating that directions on handling the case would not be issued from Bengaluru, Mr. Parameshwara said: “I have never instructed anyone to arrest somebody. I will not say that (in this case too). The local police have registered appropriate sections, and that if those sections have provision for arrest the police will arrest him”.
Meanwhile, at Sirsi, Mr. Hegde, defending his remarks on Mr. Siddaramaiah, challenged the Chief Minister for a debate in public on culture and decency. He told presspersons on Tuesday: “I do not have to learn about culture and decency from Mr. Siddaramaiah. If you think Mr. Siddaramaiah speaking in singular term is right, the way I have spoken is also right. I am not bothered about who will not agree with me, but I am sure that God agrees with me and so also the Hindu society”.
Challenging Mr. Siddaramaiah for a public debate, he said, “If the challenge is not accepted, stop speaking about culture and decency. Because you don’t know the meaning of these words”.
He also stated that his comments were not aimed at the Congress as there were several ‘Ram bhakts’ in the party and that his remarks were against Mr. Siddaramaiah, who “spoke ill of Hindu religion”. Mr. Hegde said that low-level remarks were being made against Ram temple in Ayodhya for the sake of getting votes of 15% of the population. The MP sought to know whether 85% of population do not deserve any respect.
