Hindu Mahasabha leader Dharmendra and seven others were arrested by the Mangaluru police on Sunday evening for allegedly issuing death threats to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
While addressing a press meet in Mangaluru on Saturday, registering protest against the Mysuru temple demolition carried out by the district administration recently, Dharmendra had warned the BJP government that attacks on Hindus and Hindu temples would not be tolerated.
"We did not spare Mahatma Gandhi. What are you [Bommai]? If we can assassinate Gandhi condemning the assaults on Hindus, you think we cannot do the same in your case? Is Karnataka under Tuglaqh? You are running a government that is worse than Taliban rule? You lack morality. The CM and his entire cabinet is shameless. BJP is a spineless party," Dharmendra had said.
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State president of Hindu Maha Sabha Dr Lohith Kumar has filed a complaint at the Barke police station in Mangaluru against Dharmendra and seven others for misusing the name and letterhead of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Maha Sabha. Based on the complaint, an FIR has been registered against Dharmendra, Rajesh Pavithran, Sandeep Shetty Adka, Prem Polali, Kamalaksha Padil, Sudhakar Shetty, Praveen Shetty and Ullas under sections 120B, 153A, 505(2), 506, 465, 468, 469 and 149 IPC.
HMS leader Rajesh Pavithran criticised the police for taking him into questioning, saying he was not present at the press meet.
On Sunday evening, Congress party members led by S. Manohar too filed a complaint with High Grounds police station in Bengaluru against Dharmendra