Accusing Sri Ram Sene State president Siddalinga Swami of spreading communal hatred, members of a Joint Action Committee demanded that the swami be externed.
The Joint Action Committee, a consortium of various organisations, including Tameer-e-Milat, Popular Front of India, All India Imams Council, Karnataka Muslim Political Forum, Human Aid Association, Know Your Rights, Bahmani Foundation and Naya Savera Sanghatan, submitted a memorandum to the district administration demanding that the swami be externed from the State and sought action against the seer for what they said spreading communal hatred.
In their memorandum, the activists said that more than 20 complaints have been filed against the swami in police stations in Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts stating that he hurt the sentiments of minorities and created differences among religions and castes.
His statements targeting a specific community are highly deplorable and should be abhorred by all in unequivocal terms, the memorandum said.
The members stated that Siddalinga Swami was the root cause for the recent communal violence reported in Aland town, when BJP leaders tried to perform Shivalinga Puja inside the Hazrat Ladle Mashaikh Dargah premises.
Now, the swami is enraging their sentiments with a purpose to create rift and communal disharmony by announcing that he will play Hanuman Chalisa and Bhajans outside mosques , if loudspeakers atop mosques are not removed before the deadline that ends on Monday.
The committee threatened to intensify agitation across the State if the district authorities failed to take stern and immediate action against the swami.
This article first appeared on thehindu.com