Insulting Ambedkar amounts to sedition, says Home Minister

BJP seeks a judicial probe into the incident and the immediate arrest of the culprits

People staging a protest in Kalaburagi on Tuesday condemning the desecration of an Ambedkar statue. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Responding to the desecration of an Ambedkar statue at Kotnoor (D) village on the outskirts of Kalaburagi, Home Minister G. Parameshwar has said that insulting the national leader is an act of sedition.

“We have taken the incident seriously to bring the culprits to justice. I have already directed Kalaburagi Police Commissioner to arrest the culprits at the earliest possible and take action as per law. Insulting the great leaders of the nation is equal to sedition,” he said in his social media post.

Speaking on the same line, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister and Kalaburagi in-charge Priyank Kharge also said that his government will punish those who insulted the great man who spent his whole life empowering the oppressed communities.

“We have taken the issue seriously. Kalaburagi Police Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, who were in Bengaluru for a meeting with the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, have been sent back to Kalaburagi for speedy investigation of the incident. I have already directed the officers to speed up investigation and arrest the culprits,” Mr. Kharge said in his Facebook post.

Liquor ban

Following the desecration of the statue late on Monday and the widespread protests that hit Kalaburagi on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Tarannum issued an order banning the sale of liquor in the city.

In her order issued on Tuesday, the officer made it clear that all bars and restaurants within the city limits will be closed till midnight on Wednesday.

Probe sought

Condemning the desecration of the statue, State vice-president of Scheduled Castes Morcha of the BJP Ambaraya Ashtagi demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits and a judicial probe into the incident.

In a media note released on Tuesday, he said that the government should take immediate action and bring the culprits to justice.

“Dr. Ambedkar is a great personality who drafted the world’s best Constitution for India and worked for empowering the marginalised and oppressed communities. Ambedkar was a leader for all. Some miscreants have defaced his statue to disturb peace in society and trigger enmity among communities. The government should order a judicial inquiry into the incident,” he said.