India Tomorrow
BENGALURU—Popular Front of India (PFI) has lodged a complaint with the Karnataka police on Tuesday (May 17, 2022) against a training camp organised by right-wing Hindu militant organisation Bajrang Dal on a school ground in Ponnampet town in Kodagu district (bordering northern Kerala) in southern Karnataka.
More than 100 youths participated in the training camp held between May 5 and May 11 (2022). The participants also took out a procession on May 10.
After the complaint was lodged by PFI member Ibrahim, the Karnataka Police have swung into action and started an investigation into the matter. The police have asked the Karnataka Education Department if permission was granted to the school to allow the use of the school grounds for an event where airgun training was provided.
Ibrahim in his complaint claims participants at the camp were given training in how to use airguns and has demanded a thorough inquiry and investigation into the matter.
The Karnataka Congress called for the arrest of Bajrang Dal leaders, who gave weapons training to young students within the school premises.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister (2013 to 2018) and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah,73, came out strongly against the camp saying, “By giving arms training to young members, Bajrang Dal has challenged the law of our land.” In a bid to awaken the conscience of the BJP government he questioned, “Do we have a Home minister or Education minister in Karnataka? Is the government still alive?”
Citing the example of the participation of three MLAs in the camp, Siddaramaiah questioned: “MLAs MP Appachu (from Madikeri) and KG Bopaiah (from Virajpeth), and MLC Suja Kushalappa (from Kodagu) participated in the Shaurya Prashikshana Varga event of Bajrang Dal. Do they have any commitment towards our Constitution?”
While describing the arms training as “illegal,” Siddaramaiah demanded that the Karnataka Home Minister should lodge a complaint against the leaders of the Bajrang Dal and arrest them.” He also asked Education Minister BC Nagesh to take action against the school authorities for allowing Bajrang Dal to organise illegal activities.
Meanwhile, following the complaint by Ibrahim and the onslaught by Congress, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka has gone on the defensive.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated that his government will not allow illegal activities.
However, BJP MLA from Chikmagalur assembly constituency and the party’s national general secretary CT Ravi desperately tried to put up a brave face saying the camp was part of a self-defence course. “The group was not being trained on how to use bombs and AK-47s”, he said, adding “Bajrang Dal activists undergo self-defence training every year.”
Pramod Muthalik, chief of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, the parent organisation of Sri Ram Sena also defended the camp by saying that self-defence training is not wrong. “Muthalik will say this,” a Karnataka political observer tells India Tomorrow. “Muthalik was a Bajrang Dal member in his early life.”
He set up the Karnataka unit of the Shiv Sena after being expelled from Bajrang Dal. He quit Shiv Sena over the Belgaum border dispute and then formed Sri Ram Sena.
The Bajrang Dal has also gone on the back foot insisting it did not violate the law and the Arms Act as the Arms Act does not cover airguns or tridents.
But the Karnataka Police have started their investigations into the case.
