BJP MLA booked for making 'provocative speech' against Muslims at temple event in Karnataka

MANGALURU: A case has been registered against BJP MLA Harish Punja for allegedly making a provocative speech during the Brahmakalashotsava (consecration ceremony) at the Gopalakrishna Temple in Thekkaru village in Dakshina Kannada district.

According to the police, complainant Ibrahim S B has alleged that Punja made derogatory remarks against the Muslim community and allegedly attempted to incite communal hatred through his speech.

The speech in question was reportedly delivered in the presence of a gathering during the religious event.

The complaint stated that the content of the speech could sow discord between religious communities and disturb communal harmony in the region.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case under sections 196 and 352(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the new Indian criminal code that recently replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC).