Remarks against Varanasi judge who gave Gyanvapi verdict: Lawyers lay siege to Ramanagara deputy commissioner’s office; BJP, JD(S) support protest

Hundreds of protestors laid siege to the DC’s office and accused them of succumbing to the pressure of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and local MLA Iqbal Hussain.

The lawyers started their protest on February 6 after a few people allegedly barged into the room where a section of advocates were holding a meeting to file a complaint against advocate Chand Pasha over posting a derogatory message on Facebook against a Varanasi court judge who allowed Hindus to worship in the basement of Gyanvapi mosque.

Pasha, an SDPI leader, was arrested for the Facebook post where he allegedly referred to the judge as an ‘RSS bootlicker’ who delivered the verdict one day before his retirement.

Senior advocate B M Srinivas filed a complaint where he alleged that Pasha and others threatened them and created a ruckus on Ramanagara court premises. The complaint also said that Chand Pasha post undermined the dignity of the judiciary.

As the incident was brewing, a counter complaint was also filed by a businessman named Rafiq Khan who alleged that when he and others went to the Advocates Association office to submit a memorandum stating that the allegations against Chand Pasha were false, they were waylaid and assaulted by a group who also abused their religion (Islam).

A delegation of advocates headed by H L Vishal Raghu, Chairman of Karnataka Bar Council met SP Karthik Reddy and submitted a memorandum to withdraw the cases against them.

As the incident in Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s home district picked up heat, H D Kumaraswamy and Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA R Ashoka supported the lawyers’ protest.

On Monday, former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said that he was surprised by the developments of police personnel. “The Facebook post was made by a Muslim, the complainant is also a Muslim, and the local MLA is also a Muslim. Ramanagara people have never seen such an incident,” he said.

R Ashoka said, “One of the IAS officers is a religious fundamentalist, claiming that whatever he does is always right. No action has been taken against the accused.”