Madras High Court asks Union minister why she linked Bengaluru café bombers to Tamil Nadu

If Shobha Karandlaje had information regarding the blast, she should have disclosed it to the police, the bench said.

Jul 12, 2024 - 02:30

Madras High Court asks Union minister why she linked Bengaluru café bombers to Tamil Nadu

The Madras High Court on Wednesday questioned Union minister Shobha Karandlaje why she had publicly claimed that those involved in the blast in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Café on March 1 were trained in Tamil Nadu, reported Bar and Bench.

On March 20, Karandlaje said: “People from Tamil Nadu come here [Bengaluru], get trained there and plant bombs here. They placed a bomb in the café.”

She made the remarks during a protest demanding the resignation of Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara after the attack on a shop owner in March for allegedly playing the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu hymn, during azaan, the Muslim call to prayer.

Karandlaje, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, represents the Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency.

On Wednesday, Justice G Jayachandran was hearing Karandlaje’s petition seeking the quashing of a first information report registered against her pertaining to the remark.

“You made the statement even before the NIA [National Investigation Agency] held searches in Chennai,” Jayachandran told the minister. “It means you are aware of the facts. You know who the trained persons are, who trained them, and what they have done.”

The court said that if Karandlaje had information regarding the blast, she should have disclosed it to the police.

“As a responsible citizen, the minister has not done it,” said the court.

Jayachandran’s remark came after advocate...