Renuka Chowdhry faces court over remarks on moral policing

Mangalore/New Delhi, Feb 17 (ANI): Ganesh Hosabettu, the Mayor of Mangalore City Corporation, has filed a criminal case against Union Minister Renuka Chowdhry for her remarks on the self-styled moral policing incidents in southern India.

"On behalf of Mayor-Mangalore City Corporation and other organisations, I have filed a criminal case against Renuka Chowdhury for the offense punishable under Section 153 A (communal provocation statement), 153 B (statement against country's integrity) and 505 IPC (instigating communal violence), for inciting violence and issuing public statement causing disharmony between different communities and religions," said Padma Prasad Hegde, counsel of the plaintiff.

"The main allegation against her is that she has given a public statement generalising a small incident of Mangalore," Hegde added.

Chowdhury, while talking to reporters here in New Delhi, today said no notice had been sent to her, and added that the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Karnataka is trying to divert attention from the main issue.

"I have not received any notice so far. The question arises that what are they sending me notices about? Why are they not taking action against the Sri Ram Sena, hooligans and those lumpen elements there? I have raised this issue. One MLA was attacked and lynched in public, and another girl had to commit suicide. That is the issue the government should be examining and not about me," said Chowdhury.

In the pub incident, police had arrested several members of the Sri Ram Sena whom some media are referring to as "India's Taliban" after it assaulted women.

The Congress has charged the BJP-run state government with complicity in the attack, saying such acts could not have happened without the government's support.

Hindu hardliners had attacked women in a pub last month and then daughter of a Kerala State Legislator and her male friend were attacked while traveling in a bus in the same city on February 6.

On February 11, a 16-year-old girl had committed suicide, publicly humiliated by allegedly Hindu radicals in Bangalore for moving around with a Muslim boy. (ANI)