Police book case against Sadhvi Ballika Saraswathi for hate speech

 

Mangaluru, 05 Mar 2015: Mangaluru City Police have registered a case under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code against Sadhvi Balika Saraswati who delivered the keynote address in the Virat Hindu Samajotsav organized to commemorate golden jubilee celebration of VHP here on Sunday. A case has been registered in Mangaluru South PS on complaint from Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, president of DK unit of Karnataka Komu Soudharda Vedike.

 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Santosh Babu K said Mangaluru South PS personnel also received a second complaint from a Muslim organization in connection with the speech. However, the complainants in this case will be treated as witnesses to the main complaint, he said noting that there is no provision to register multiple complaints to an incident and will be treated as a single complaint for investigation.

 

Section 153A of IPC says whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities is liable for prosecution.

 

Likewise, anyone who commits any act which is prejudicial to maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. The city police had termed the speech of the Sadhvi as provocative and were waiting for a complaint.