Writer, rationalist Bhagwan faces ink attack from woman lawyer

Bengaluru: Popular Kannada writer and rationalist Prof. K.S. Bhagwan was attacked with ink on Thursday at the City Civil Court Complex when he came to appear before the metropolitan court for hearing on his bail plea. A video of the city-based lawyer Meera Raghavendra attacking the writer with ink was shared on social media which went viral soon. Meera Raghavendra justified her act and claimed that she threw the ink on the writer as a form of punishment for 'insulting' Hindu religion.

When Bhagwan was entering the court premises, Meera shouted at him for 'insulting' Hindu gods and said she was ready to face any consequences for her action. A gunman and police constable present at the spot escorted Prof. Bhagwan out of the premises. "You are a professor and so old, yet you continue to speak trash about Hinduism and the Gods. Are you not ashamed of yourself," she was heard shouting at Bhagwan.

Meera had filed a private complaint against the professor for the same reasons. Prof. Bhagwan's lawyer Surya Mukundaraj said that his client would file complaints against Meera before the Bar Council and the Advocates' Association.

Reacting to the incident, Mukundaraj said, "Attacking Prof. Bhagwan in the court premises despite the presence of security shows that it was a premeditated act and a deep-rooted conspiracy that needs a detailed investigation."

Later, Prof. Bhagwan filed a complaint with the Halasurugate police. Mr. Bhagwan has often courted controversy and has been targeted by the BJP and fringe Hindu right wing organisations. Recently the BJP government in the State had banned his book 'Rama Mandira Yeke Beda' (Why we do not need the Ram temple)' in public libraries. In January 2019, he was booked by Mysuru police under Section 295A (insulting religion and religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint by Mysuru district president of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike, Jagadish Hebbar K.

Prof. Bhagwan asserted in a recent statement that it was his duty to promote rationalism, scientific temper and reform humanism according to Article 51A(h) in the Constitution of India. He said his book was bases on a comparative study of views expressed by Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi on Valmiki's text.

Bhagwan was earlier booked in 2015 for allegedly insulting the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and in the process hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of noted journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh suspected that Gauri's killers had also conspired to target Bhagwan. Following this, he was provided security by the State government.