Nine held for offensive skit in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Nine individuals along with the principal of Jain University's Centre for Management Studies (CMS), Dr. Dinesh Nilkant, students, and the youth festival organiser, were detained for a skit that reportedly defamed Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Dalits.

The nine individuals were held under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act sections 3 (1) (r) (intentionally insult or intimidate with intent to humiliate a member of SC or ST within public view), 3(1) (s) (abuse any member of ST or ST by caste name within public view) and 3(1)(v) (disrespect any late person held in high esteem by members of SC or ST) and Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity), 149 (unlawful assembly) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) as a result of a complaint made by Madhusudhana K N, assistant director of Bengaluru South's social welfare department.

The inquiry into the incident is underway, according to DCP South Krishnakanth G.

The university has been requested to provide a thorough report on the occurrence by the Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. Due to Jain University's approval of the offensive skit, the Bengaluru University Postgraduate and Research Students' Union declared a bandh for Tuesday.

The CMS held a youth festival at the Nimhans Convention Center on Wednesday, last week, which included the skit that was presented that day. Students may be seen competing in a Mad-Ads event focused on reservations in a video that went viral. However, it had dialogue that Ambedkar and Dalits found objectionable.

The college administration asserted that the performance had actually presented an "overall picture of" caste and reservation in India.

"The skit was not impromptu; it had already been performed twice at other fests. On Wednesday, it was the third performance. However, due to the upcoming protests in Bengaluru, we have decided to move to online classes for the time being," said a college representative.