Situation in state such that one is sent to jail for chanting 'Jai Sri Ram': Karnataka LoP

R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, on Wednesday, slammed the Siddaramaiah government for the arrest of a kar sevak (volunteer) in Hubballi, saying that the situation in the state is such that one is sent to jail for chanting 'Jai Sri Ram'.

The kar sevak, Srikanth Poojari, was arrested recently for his alleged involvement in violence after the Babri masjid demolition in 1992. The arrest was made in a long pending case and the police said that it was a routine process to trace accused persons in such cases.

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"If you chant 'Jai Sri Ram' in Karnataka, you will be sent to jail. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is at the Centre, so we are not afraid of all these," Ashoka said during BJP's protest march in Hubballi against the arrest.

Karnataka LoP also accused the Congress of having opposed the building of Ram temple in Ayodhya. He said that there were 69,000 pending cases in the state, hinting at the arrest of the kar sevak as politically motivated.

"Srikanth Poojari was arrested on the day when the court was on vacation for three days. He is a very poor auto driver. It is not right to arrest such a poor man," Ashoka said.

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He demanded the suspension of the police officers who ordered the arrest of the kar sevak.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to BJP leaders in the state to stop playing petty politics in the "name of God and religion", urging them to act responsibly as an opposition amid protests by the party over the arrest.

He asserted that the sudden panic within the BJP stems from positive public responses to the current government's achievements.

The Chief Minister criticised the BJP's attempt to capitalize on the arrest of a criminal suspect in Hubballi, cautioning against the dangerous practice of assigning caste and religious labels to criminals.

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"I am still appealing to the BJP leaders in the state. Stop playing petty politics in the name of God and religion, and try to act as a responsible opposition," he said in a post on X. He further urged them to assess the charges against the Hubballi suspect before deciding to defend him.

"It should not have come to a point where a national party has to defend a criminal suspect. If any BJP leaders have a little wisdom, they should please read out the list of charges against this person from Hubballi and then decide whether to fight for him. Since Hindus are the majority in the population, they are also the majority in prisons. Does that mean BJP should fight for all of them because they belong to the Hindu religion?" CM Siddaramaiah asked.