Hindutva activist Puneeth Kerehalli booked for making offensive remarks against Karnataka Minister Zameer Khan

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police have booked Hindutva activist Puneeth Kerehalli for making offensive remarks about Minister for Housing, Waqf, and Minority Affairs B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan. 

The action came after Khan’s personal assistant, B S Ashok, filed a complaint at the Chamarajpet police station, accusing Kerehalli of hurling religious slurs against the minister and making statements intended to outrage religious feelings. 

The police have booked Kerehalli under BNS Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). 

In his complaint, Ashok shared the link to a Facebook video, which shows Kerehalli calling Khan a 'Turka' and 'Arabic tali', which translates to a person of Turkish or Arabic origin. DH could not independently verify the video. 

Ashok also alleged that Kerehalli gave a death threat to Khan. 

Kerehalli dared Khan to visit Hassan or Mandya and call H D Kumaraswamy a 'kariya' (Kannada for black). Kerehalli made offensive remarks about Khan's parentage, Ashok's complaint stated. 

Last week, Khan called Kumaraswamy 'kaalia' (black person). Khan justified the remarks, saying he affectionately called Kumaraswamy 'kariya', and would in turn be called 'kulla' (Kannada for short). Khan later apologised.