St Gerosa school issue: FIR filed against two BJP MLAs

A case has been registered by the police against five people, including two BJP MLAs, for allegedly inciting people and forcing students of the St Gerosa school in the city to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans.

Police sources on Thursday said the FIR, filed at the Mangaluru South police station, has named MLAs Vedavyas Kamath, Y Bharat Shetty, city corporators Sandeep Garodi, Bharat Kumar and Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell as the accused.

The protesters were also accused of instigating enmity between the Christian and Hindu communities by directing their slogans against Christianity during the protest on February 12.

Considering the sensitivity to communal issues in Dakshina Kannada district, such actions could have created law and order issues, police said.

The case has been registered under sections 143, 153A, 295A, 505(2), 506 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The management of St Gerosa English higher primary school told the police that Kamath initiated a protest in front of the school without seeking clarification from them. It is alleged that students were forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram.’