The city police booked eight persons from Mangaluru for threatening the lives of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Muzarai Minister Shashikala Jolle and for issuing statements that creates communal tension during their press conference on Saturday regarding the demolition of temple in Nanjangud taluk of Mysuru district.

On the complaint filed by State President of Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha Lohith Kumar Suvarna from Bengaluru, the city’s Barke police registered case against Dharmendra, Rajesh Putran, Sandeep Shetty Adka, Prem Polali, Kamalaksha Padil, Sudhakar Shetty, Praveen Shetty and Ullas.

They were accused for offences namely 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 153 (A) (promoting enimity between different groups), 505 (2) (statement Conducing to public mischief), 506 (criminal intimidation), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), and 149 (unlawful assembly).

In the complaint, Mr. Suvarna said despite removing Mr. Dharmendra, Mr. Rajesh Putran and other accused persons from the Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha they have continued to misuse Mahasabha’s name to issue statements in public and make defamatory posts on social media. Following clearance from Mahasabha to proceed against these persons, he had come to Mangaluru four days ago to file a complaint.

Mr. Dharmendra, Mr. Polali and four other held a press conference on Saturday by claiming to be Mahasabha office bearers and issued statement using letter head of Mahasabha to condemn the action of the BJP government over the temple demolition issue. They have gone on to state that when Mahasabha did not spare to take the life of Mahatma Gandhi for the action against Hindus, there would be no second thoughts for action against Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa and Muzarai Minister Shashikala Jolle. The statement by the accused was tantamount to creating unrest among communities and questioning the credibility of judiciary. The Mahasabha was not associated in any way with the statements made by the accused persons, Mr. Kumar said.

Mr. Kumar has also mentioned that Mr. Putran, who has claimed to be President of Mahasabha’s state unit, is an accused in a honey trap case registered in the city’s Barke police station. He was also an accused in a case each of issuance of death threats registered in city’s Kavoor police station and in a police station in Bengaluru.