Pramod Muthalik

Pramod Muthalik

Organisation (Sri Rama Sena) head
Born 1963
Other names Pramod Muthalic
Citizenship Indian
Occupation Politician
Known for Founder of Sri Ram Sena, Rashtriya Hindu Sena
Religion Hindu
Spouse(s) Never married

Pramod Muthalik (born 1963) is the chief of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, the parent organisation of the Sri Ram Sena.[1]

A Bajrang Dal member in his early life, he formed the Karnataka unit of the Shiv Sena after being expelled from Bajrang Dal. He quit Shiv Sena over the Belgaum border dispute, and then formed Sri Ram Sena. He gained media attention when around 40 activists of the Ram Sena barged into a Mangalore pub and attacked young men and women, insisting that these people were violating the traditional Indian values. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government banned him from entering Mangalore, following which he campaigned against the party in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. In March 2014, he joined the Karnataka unit of BJP, but was forced to quit within hours due to widespread criticism and protests from other members. He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent Candidate from Bangalore South and Dharwad constituencies in Karnataka, but lost both.[2][3] In August 2014, he famously called the BJP the 'Bharatiya Jesus Party'.[4]

Hindutva activism

Pramod Muthalik was born in 1963 to a Marathi family in Hukkeri in the Belgaum district of Karnataka, close to the border with Maharashtra.[5][6] He joined the RSS in 1975. In 2004, he became the convenor for South India for the Bajrang Dal.

The cases are relating to making inflammatory speeches, inciting hatred between religious groups, conducting training with intent to carry out violence. Pramod Multhalik has over 45 cases pending against him, and is wanted by the police in 11 districts of Karnataka. Most of these cases are still under investigation and relate to subversive activities, defiling religious books, unlawful assembly, violating prohibitory orders, and evading judicial warrants. Most were filed between the years 2000 and 2008.[1] A look at the chargesheet makes it clear that he has never been arrested for any of these cases.[7][8] On February 19, 2000, Muthalik spoke at Malebennur in Harihar taluk of Davanagere district. He remarked at minority communities and questioned their loyalty to the nation. The Harihar police filed a case under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code. Two years later, the district magistrate banned his entry into Malebennur and surrounding areas.[1] On January 10, 2002, he was banned from entering the Bailhongal taluk in relation to communal incidents in Kittur. The ban also included fellow Bajrang Dal leaders Vilas Pawar and Manoj Hanagal.[9]

Muthalik is an admirer of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. He regularly attends an annual function in Pune to mark the death anniversary of Godse.[6]

Shiv Sena

In 2005, Muthalik was expelled from Bajrang Dal. Subsequently, in August 2005, he set up the Shiv Sena's Karnataka unit, stating that he wanted a political platform to advance the objectives of Hindutva. He was accompanied by the former district president of the Bajrang Dal for Belgaum, Vilas Pawar, and some 5,000 workers belonging to the Bajrang Dal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bharatiya Janata Party. This marked the formation of the Shiv Sena in Karnataka.[5] Muthalik quit the Sena in 2006 after the party revived its demand for the merger of the Marathi speaking areas like Belgaum with Maharashtra.[6] He then formed the Rashtriya Hindu Sena.[10]

Sri Ram Sena

After quitting Shiv Sena, Muthalik established Sri Ram Sena in 2006.[11] In 2009, the Ram Sena men led an attack on a Mangalore pub, where women were beaten. Muthalik defended the attack saying that girls going to pub was against Indian culture.[12] He also questioned the media and the government on their silence on the illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.[13]

Following the attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government banned him from entering Mangalore. In response, he campaigned against BJP in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, calling it "corrupt and anti-Hindu".[11]

In 2014, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka state unit, but was forced to exit in hours after protests from other members.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mutalik's long history of running riot". The Times Of India. January 29, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Sri Rama Sena chief Pramod Muthalik to contest against BJP in LS Polls". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.thenewsminute.com/stories/27%20Congress%20candidates%20are%20billionaires%20in%20Karnataka
  4. ↑ http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=506251
  5. 1 2 "Pramod Mutalik to join Shiv Sena today". The Hindu. Chennai, India. August 28, 2005.
  6. 1 2 3 A fast mover, peddling his brand of Hindutva, Hindustan Times
  7. ↑ "Excl: Muthalik's criminal history exposed". TimesNow.tv. 2009-1-28. Retrieved 2009-01-29. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ↑ "Criminal case filed against Togadia". Rediff.com. February 21, 2003. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  9. ↑ "3 Bajrang Dal leaders banned from Bailhongal". The Times Of India. January 12, 2002.
  10. ↑ NDTV.com: What is Sri Ram Sena?
  11. 1 2 "Banished, Ram Sena chief slams BJP". The Telegraph. 2009-03-17.
  12. ↑ Why are women always the target?, Rediff
  13. ↑ Ghosh, Dwaipayan; Chaturvedi, Medha (February 19, 2009). "6 Kids Go Missing Every Day In City". The Times Of India.
  14. ↑ Abhinav Bhatt (2014-03-23). "Controversial Muthalik forced to exit BJP in hours". NDTV.
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