BENGALURU: He reportedly called it a ‘Sepoy Mutiny,’ and posted images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the WhatsApp messages, while shooting them to police constables in Karnataka, even as he exhorted them to go on mass leave to protest against government and bureaucratic apathy against their poor working condition.
Shashidhar Venugopal, founder of Akhila Karnataka Police Mahasangha and the alleged mastermind behind the proposed June 4 strike by the policemen reportedly launched the campaign early last month with fiery and highly emotional messages that instigated thousands of constables to sign up for one day mass leave.
“His (Shashidhar) messages smacked of political conspiracy. The illegal use of PM's image on a conspiracy and police revolt against the State is nothing short of sedition. He had earlier posted PM's image with slogans on other social media platforms. All the WhatsApp messages are now subject to State scrutiny. The messages hit the weakest nerve of the constabulary; on their long working hours; their pathetic living condition and the lack of pay parity with police in other states. In return the respondents started posting messages to each other that they were educationally over qualified to lead the menial life of a constable. Some of them stated that they were research scholars and post graduates. The messages went viral and there was a huge downpour of emotions, anger and angst,” said an official source. The government has asked the police top brass to compile all the messages on WhatsApp and other social media platform to sieve out common and genuine grievances so that they could be duly addressed.
Charges against Shashidhar
Yelahanka New Town police have registered a case under sections 124A 166 read/with 109 IPC along with section 4 police forces (restriction of rights) Act 1966 section 4 police (incitement to disaffection) Act 1922, section 5 KESMA read/with 120-B IPC. Shashidhar was arrested and produced before a court that remanded him to judicial custody until June 16.
