The Karnataka Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for a hate speech that allegedly incited animosity between communities and insulted women’s modesty. The remarks were made during an event near Puttur in the Dakshina Kannada district on October 20, with the FIR registered five days later on October 25.
The complaint, submitted by Eshwari Padmunja, accuses Bhat of making inflammatory comments directed at women and minority communities. She claimed that he argued Hindu women are belittled for having more than two children while Muslim women, regardless of their family size, do not face similar scrutiny. Bhat reportedly encouraged Hindu women to “give birth to more children,” citing the larger families of Muslim women as a concern to justify his statement about increasing the Hindu population.
A video recording of Bhat’s speech has been shared on the YouTube channel Kahale News, showcasing his remarks. Based on Padmunja’s allegations, the Puttur Rural Police charged Bhat and the event organizers under multiple legal provisions, including Section 79 (insult to the modesty of a woman), Section 196 (promoting enmity between religious groups), Section 299 (deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings), Section 302 (wounding religious sentiments), and Section 3(5) (criminal acts by multiple persons in furtherance of a common intention).
In response to the controversy, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge criticized Bhat’s comments, questioning his apparent defiance of legal standards. Addressing the RSS’s planned padayatra in Chittapur on November 2, Kharge stated, “Who is Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat? Is he above the law or the Constitution? The RSS can conduct a path sanchalan only if the court grants permission. If they proceed without approval, can the government remain silent? Action will be taken according to the law if he continues making such public statements.”
Kharge also noted that 11 organizations have requested permission to hold processions in Chittapur. He indicated that officials would convene a peace meeting, and their findings would be submitted to the court, with the government taking action per the court’s decision.
This incident marks Bhat’s second FIR related to hate speech. Previously, on June 2, the Bantwal Rural Police registered an FIR against him for an anti-Muslim speech delivered during a condolence gathering on May 12 in Kavalapadur village, Dakshina Kannada.
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