Protests In Bengaluru Over Shopkeeper Thrashed For Playing Hanuman Chalisa During 'Azaan Time', BJP MP Tejasvi Surya Detained

After an altercation on Sunday (17 March) over playing Hindu devotional songs during 'Azaan time', a shopkeeper in Bengaluru was thrashed by a group of men.

Protests erupted on Tuesday, a day after the issue came to light demanding swift police action against the perpetrators. Till now, five people have been arrested.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya also joined the protest as he had given a deadline of 4 pm today to the police to arrest all accused.

However, he was detained by the police. He then asked the crowd to go back.

Victim Dinesh Gundu Rao narrated the incident when a group of men asked him to stop playing bhajans saying that it was 'Azaan time'. When Rao pointed out that it was not Azaan time yet, they asked him to shut up.

"They grabbed my throat and hit me. They threatened to stab me," Rao said. He was playing the Hanuman ji album of 10-15 bhajans and Hanuman Chalisa was playing when the attackers came.

Surya alleged that the police were even hesitant in registering an FIR and only after the intervention of BJP leaders, the FIR could be registered. "Hindus are treated as third class citizens under Congress rule," he added.