The Karnataka police booked a suo moto case against a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister Pramod Madhwaraj for allegedly making casteist remarks against the Dalit community.
The case was booked on Saturday, March 22, after Madhwaraj reportedly justified an assault on a 43-year-old Dalit woman by five fishermen at the Malpe fishing harbour in Udupi district who accused the woman of stealing fish. The assault took place on March 18.
The following day, a case was filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and BNS 130 (Assault) against the fishermen. They have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
In response to the arrest, protests were held demanding the five fishermen be released immediately and warned of intensified agitation if their demands were not met. Participating in the protest, the BJP leader Madhwaraj addressed a gathering where he defended the Dalit assault questioning if the woman was beaten with a fishing rod or a weapon.
A video of him speaking in Kannada has surfaced on social media platforms where he reportedly said, “thieves must be dealt with accordingly.”
Madhwaraj has been booked under BNS sections 57 (abetting commission of an offence by the public), 191(1) (rioting), and 192 (provocation for rioting).
Meanwhile, Malpe fishermen’s association president Dayanand Suvarna rejected any caste angle concerning the Dalit woman assault.
“There is no caste or religious discrimination at the harbour. The fishing sector is already facing multiple challenges, and thefts of fish and equipment from boats have become frequent. The authorities have failed in managing the harbour, with a lack of security personnel and CCTV cameras. No one is addressing our concerns,” he said.
