Mangaluru Police Takes Suo Motu Cognisance Of Men Offering Namaz On Public Road After Video Emerges; VHP Condemns Acts

A video recently went viral showing a group of men offering namaz on a public road in Mangaluru, Karnataka, leading the police to register a suo motu case.

The incident, which took place on 24 May in Kankanady, caused traffic disruptions, forcing many vehicles to take alternative routes, as per a report by The Indian Express.

The prayers were held on a public road in front of a mosque. A police officer mentioned that the mosque authorities had also been informed about the incident.

The police have filed a case against unknown individuals under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 143 (unlawful assembly), and 149 (common object of members of an unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code.

Following the video's circulation, right-wing organisations have threatened to recite the Hanuman Chalisa on public roads.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad condemned the act of offering namaz in a public space, with its leader, Sharan Pumpwell, warning of mass Hanuman Chalisa recitations at the same location. A memorandum seeking action was also submitted to the police.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party minister K S Eshwarappa stated that the Hindu community would not tolerate such activities and warned that police inaction could lead to riots.