Sri Ram Sene (SRS) will ensure that non-Hindus do not set up shop in and around all Hindu temples in Belagavi district, sene founder Pramod Mutalik said here on Thursday.
“We are taking the issue of economic boycott of Muslims very seriously. It started at Kaup near Mangaluru. The sene extends full support to the issue. However, we want the boycott to extend to all business activities run by Muslims and not just around temples. We are doing this to change the mindset of Muslims. This is in line with our principle that every action has a reaction,’’ he said.
“This will continue till the Muslim mentality is changed. Their isolationism and expansionism are very dangerous to society. It will continue till cow slaughter and beef-eating are stopped. We will force Muslims to respect all laws and rules of this country,” he said.
In Gangolli in Dakshina Kannada, Muslims boycotted fishermen. During NRC/CAA protests, some Muslims gave a call to boycott Patanjali products. How can this be tolerated? he said.
To a query, he said that the sene is not doing anything illegal. “We are not doing anything illegal. The State Government passed a set of rules under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act of 1997. Rule No 12 clearly says that non-Hindus are not allowed to do business within a radius of 100 m from Hindu temples. The Congress Government led by S.M. Krishna framed the rules in 2002. The rule says that non-Hindus cannot enter Hindu temples nor set up shop. The sene will not only ask the State Government to follow this rule strictly but also create awareness among the people not to buy from shops run by non-Hindus,” he said.
“Groups of young men will go around the district making a list of all shops run by non-Hindus in temple towns. They will create awareness among the people about who owns them. We will tell people that they should not be buying from shops of those who eat beef, disrespect cows and disrespect the law of the land,’’ he said. “We will not drive them out though. But we will create awareness against them,” he added.
“What is wrong in economic boycott? There is no violence in this. Unlike Muslims, we are not going around using weapons. We are dong this only to save the country,’’ he said. “I ask a simple question to Muslims. If you don’t believe in Hindu Gods, why do you want to earn money out of such places?” he said. To a question about Hindus opening shops near mosques and during urs and other Muslim events, he said that it was allowed. “That is because Hindus accept multiple Gods. Muslims believe only in one God. We don’t want them to earn money out of our celebrations?” he said.
He said that Muslim traders made huge profits by selling meat of sheep and goats sacrificed at the Malekurni Devi Temple in Uchagaon. “We will not allow this. If Muslims want to eat meat, they will have to make their own arrangements. They cannot come to Hindu jatras to buy meat,’’ he said. “There is no concept of Halal among Hindus,’’ he said and added that all Muslims will be asked to vacate shops in temple towns such as Saundatti Yallamma, Pant Balekundri and Hukkeri Holevva.
“Muslims are unleashing tyranny on Hindus in the form of Love Jihad, killing of Hindu activists, economic domination and conversion. There have been several such incidents in Gadag, Shivamogga and Belagavi districts. They have also proved that they have no respect for the law. In DJ Halli in Bengaluru, they set fire to a police station. Even in the Hijab case, it was the Muslims who went to court. But they disrespected the interim and final orders by the High Court of Karnataka. Then, some Muslim youth organisation gave death threat to the judges,’’ he said.
To a query, he said that the BJP Government in the State consisted of cowards who are not brave enough to take action against Muslims. “The State Government is unable to stop the morning prayers that are termed illegal by courts. I consider it a government of cowards,” he said.
Asked about poor Muslim merchants suffering from this boycott, he retorted: “Over five lakh innocent and poor Hindus were driven out of Kashmir. What wrong had they done? The film, The Kashmir Files, is full of such incidents. If you watch it, you will know the truth,” he said.
“Even today, Kashmiri Hindus are living in refugee camps across the country. I have visited the camps in Jammu where two lakh Pandits are living in tents. I have met the 3,000 Kashmiri settlers in Bengaluru. I am unhappy with the BJP for not rehabilitating them till now,’’ he said.
“For the atrocities committed on Kashmiri Hindus, I hold the BJP leaders also responsible. I urge the BJP to resettle the Kashmiri Pandits back in their villages. If that is not done, then the abrogation of Article 370 will not have achieved its purpose. But I am confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resettle them,” he said.
To a query, he said that he was concerned only about what Hindu organisations could do to protect their faith and not its political implications. “Some people say that the BJP is using the film for political purposes. But we don’t worry about such things. We are not related to any political party. We are bothered about who will earn political benefit out of it,” he said.
He said that the sene will openly promote the film, as he wanted every Indian to know what had happened in Kashmir. “But the film shows only 10% of the violence that happened there. The reality is even more serious,’’ he said.
Asked if the economic boycott will disturb harmony in society, he said that Hindus don’t need lessons on harmony, but Hindus will not tolerate if someone questions their existence. “We have lost Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan and other countries that were all parts of Akhand Bharat at one time. We will not lose any more land in future,” he said.
Published - March 24, 2022 08:01 pm IST
