Dalit couple humiliated, barred from temple in Karnataka
Islamophobic slogans raised in separate incident
Bangalore: Members of the Dalit community continue to face discrimination and humiliation in various parts of India, highlighting the persistence of entrenched caste-based prejudice under the shadow of Hindutva ideology.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a shocking incident in Karnataka, a newly married Dalit couple, Pankaja and Puneeth, were humiliated and prevented from entering a temple when they went there to seek blessings after their wedding.
A man identified as Narayanappa, linked with Hindutva BJP circles, confronted the couple, hurled casteist slurs, and stopped them from entering the temple premises.
Eyewitnesses said the accused pretended to be possessed by a deity and shouted at the couple, declaring, “Dalits cannot enter the temple. You go and perform your puja elsewhere. Leave immediately.” A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media.
The Congress-led state government has arrested Narayanappa for forcing the couple to leave the temple.
In a separate incident reflecting growing intolerance, members of Hindutva groups during a Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti procession in Bagalkot stopped outside a mosque, raised Islamophobic slogans, and pelted stones at Muslim-owned meat shops.
