Priyank Kharge Sparks Row: Downplays Islamist Attacks Framed as ‘Bhagwa Love Trap’ in Karnataka, Here Is The Reality

Karnataka Congress Minister Priyank Kharge created controversy on Friday with his comments about recent attacks on interfaith couples (couples from different religions) by Muslim groups, which some people are calling ‘Bhagwa love trap’ cases.

He was reacting to an incident in Bengaluru, where five men harassed an interfaith couple sitting in a park. The minister said the Karnataka government will not allow “moral policing”—meaning no one has the right to force their own views on others or stop people from being together based on religion.

Taking a jab at BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, Kharge said, “This is not Bihar or Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh. Karnataka is a progressive state.” His remarks have received mixed reactions, with some accusing him of downplaying serious incidents and making unfair comparisons.

What was the incident ?

The Bengaluru police have arrested five men after a woman filed a complaint. The incident happened on April 8 in an area under Chandralayout Police Station. A video of the incident went viral, showing the woman, who was wearing a burqa, sitting on a scooter in a park with her Hindu male friend. The five men came and harassed them, asking the woman if her family knew she was there. They also questioned the man for sitting with a woman of a different religion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Girish, said, “The couple was sitting on a scooter when five people questioned them. We received a complaint from the woman and have registered a case. The investigation is ongoing.”
The police said there was no violence, but another video seems to show the group surrounding the man and hitting him with an object.

The case is still being investigated.

Other incidents of “moral policing” from Karnataka

These are not the first cases of moral policing in Karnataka, which is currently ruled by the Congress government. Several similar incidents have happened in the past year:

1. Chitradurga – April 2023
A Hindu man named Umesh was badly beaten by a Muslim mob in Chitradurga city. He was just dropping his Muslim colleague Parveen home. The attackers beat him so badly that he was seriously injured.

2. Belagavi – April 2023
Another case involved a Dalit Hindu man, Sachin Lamani, and his Muslim cousin-sister, Muskan Patel. They were attacked by Muslim men near Fort Lake when they went to register for a government scheme. Muskan is Lamani’s cousin from his aunt’s side (his father’s sister married a Muslim man). A case was filed under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.

3. Haveri – January 2024
An interfaith couple was attacked by six Muslim men in a hotel room in Hanagal Taluk of Haveri district. The couple, a Hindu man and a Muslim woman, were abused and beaten. The attackers also filmed the attack. The woman later said that she was gang-raped after being taken away from the hotel.
The police acted after the video went viral.

4. Karnataka – August 2023
A man named Jakir Ahamad was arrested for harassing a Muslim woman wearing a burqa. She was riding on a bike with a Hindu man. Jakir stopped them and shouted at the woman, but she stood her ground. The video went viral and the police registered a case against Jakir. These incidents show a pattern of harassment and violence against interfaith couples, especially when the woman is Muslim. In all these cases, the police took action only after videos went viral or complaints were filed.