Tension prevailed on the busy Church Street on Tuesday after miscreants sprayed graffiti on the shutters and walls of shops against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and scribbled slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The shopkeepers of Shrungar complex and surrounding buildings alerted the Cubbon Park police who inspected the spot and registered a case under the Karnataka Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.
Some of the graffiti read, ‘Modi Fascist, RSS Terrorist, BJP is S***, Modi Resign, I will not show my papers, BJP is cancer-kill it before it kills you, Vomit Shah, Free Kashmir, No CAA, No NRC, No NPR’.
As news spread, several pro-CAA activists and BJP workers descended on the spot. When the police — who were busy with security duty for 31st National Road Safety Week at the Kanteerava stadium — reached the location, members of various pro-Hindu organisations had already wiped out or covered the graffiti in saffron. They also scrawled ‘We support CAA, NCR’ on the walls. There was tension when locals took objection to this, but police brought the agitated crowd under control.
Chetan Singh Rathore, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), visited the spot and instructed the Cubbon Park police to register a suo motu case.
“A case has been registered against those who spray-painted slogans against the CAA. Action will also be initiated against the activists who wrote slogans in support of CAA,” he said.
The Cubbon Park police collected CCTV footage from the surrounding buildings which showed two persons spray-painting on the walls around 3 am on Tuesday. Efforts are on to nab the duo.
Police clarified that they have not imposed any sections of sedition. The investigating officer said the activists supporting CAA will also be booked in the same case as they have no right to write on the walls of public or private properties.
College declares holiday after tension
In another incident in the city, a group of 10-12 people, claiming to be BJP workers, wiped out graffiti on the walls of Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Yelahanka on Tuesday morning.
The students alleged that the party workers heckled them and faculty members over anti-Modi graffiti on the walls opposite to the college.
In the meantime, some residents who had accompanied the BJP workers raised objections to illegal parking by the institute’s students on adjoining roads.
“Within minutes, a towing vehicle was called in to take our vehicles away,” alleged a student.
According to students, the workers warned them and the faculty of stringent action if they continued with the graffiti.
Dr Geetha Narayanan, founder director of the institute, said, “We are concerned about the safety of our students and will go to any extent to protect them. We have declared a holiday on January 16 and 17 following the incident.”
Yelahanka New Town police said no case has been registered yet.
Last week, Jyoti Nivas College had also declared a holiday following a verbal duel between students and BJP workers over CAA and NRC.