The Bantwal Rural police have arrested three Bajrang Dal activists on the charge of threatening to kill Mithun M. Rai, the Congress candidate who unsuccessfully contested against Nalin Kumar Kateel of the BJP in Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency recently.
The accused were seen threatening him in a video clipping that went viral in social media. Mr. Rai, who is also president of the Dakshina Kannada Youth Congress, filed a complaint to this effect with Superintendent of Police B.M. Laxmi Prasad on Monday.
The arrested as Sachin, 25, Nishanth, 23, both from Bantwal, and Karthik, 30, from Kasaragod. They have been charged under Sections 143, 144, 504, 506, 505 (1) (c), 153 (A) and 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
In the video, said to be from the BJP’s victory celebration in Badakabail, which is near Polali on the outskirts of Mangaluru, the activists are heard using foul language in Tulu against Mr. Rai and threatening to kill him if he interferes with the Bajrang Dal.
Condemning the action, Mr. Rai told reporters that he would not be cowed by such threats. “I am here at the party office in Mangaluru. Let them come here,” he said.
Mr. Prasad said the police took note of the video on Sunday and initiated the process of taking from the activists an undertaking of good conduct under Section 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code. “With a complaint today, a case was registered and three of them have been arrested,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sharan Pumpwell, former Bajrang Dal State president, claimed that Bajrang Dal does not entertain thoughts of assaulting anyone. “It seems the activists said this in an emotional outburst. We will call them and advise them against raising such slogans,” he said, adding that they were yet to figure out whether those in the video were indeed Bajrang Dal activists.