Bajrang Dal stops women’s party in moral policing case in Shivamogga

In a suspected case of moral policing, members of the right-wing group Bajrang Dal allegedly stopped a ladies’ party organised at a private hotel in Shivamogga, police said.

According to the police, members of the Bajrang Dal, under the leadership of Rajesh Gowda, district chief of the outfit, barged into Hotel Cliff Embassy on Kumvempu road late on Friday to protest against the night party.

The right-wing organisation claimed that women taking part in such events are against “Hindu culture”, and vowed to not let Shivamogga turn into “another Manipal” of the state.

Manipal in Udupi has been a hotbed for communal and moral policing incidents. In 2009, a group of Sri Rama Sene members barged into a pub and beat up young women and men claiming the women were violating traditional values by being in a pub.

After the right-wing groups objected to the party, those inside the hotel, majority of them women, were told by Bajrang Dal members to leave the venue, said officials in the know of the matter.

“A late-night party was arranged at Cliff Embassy hotel to destroy our ‘Hindu culture’. Arrangements were made to drink alcohol and dance at the party. We will not allow such events in Shivamogga because we do not want our city to become another Manipal,” Gowda said.

“We will not allow pubs to come up in Shivamogga. Girls here grow up in a very cultured manner. If such events are held in the city, we are warning that will make sure they will be stopped,” Gowda said.

Gowda further said that the outfit did not take it into its own hands but only informed the police, who ensured the party was stopped.

“We had information about the ladies’ party at the hotel through their Facebook page. We urged the police to stop it. However, as the event was not called off, we, along with the Doddapete police, intervened to ensure it was stopped. We did not take law into our own hands,” he added.

However, the police denied that they stopped the party and said they only intervened to prevent any untoward incident.

“When we received information that they were trying to stop the party, police officers were sent to the spot and prevented any untoward incident,” a police officer in the know of the matter said.

Police said no action was taken on the matter since no complaint was filed.

In a similar incident of moral policing in July last year, Bajrang Dal members allegedly forced their way into a pub in Mangaluru and stopped a college farewell party. They objected to girls partying there and asked the students to leave the pub.

Last year, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai came under fire when his reply to a question on incidents of moral policing was seen as an endorsement of acts of moral policing by vigilante groups.

“When sentiments are hurt, there will normally be action and reaction,” Bommai had said.