Wearing saffron under the Congress government in Karnataka’s Bengaluru city is becoming dangerous. On the night of 24th August, Surendra Kumar, a migrant worker from Bihar in Kalasipalya locality, was assaulted merely because he was wearing saffron-coloured scarf on his head. When the manager of the company where he works, Harikrishna, attempted to step in, the Muslim assailants assaulted him and ripped his shirt.
According to the media reports, the accident occurred at approximately 9:30 pm on Sunday, 24th August, in the busy area of Bengaluru, Karnataka. Surendra Kumar, a labourer by occupation, was at work outside a transport company called Royal Travellers.
The moment he was engaged in work, three Muslim youths arrived. First, they insulted him and then asked why he was wearing saffron scarf, and ordered him to take it off. Shilendra had no time to understand anything when they pushed him down and started beating him.
#Bengaluru: Three persons who tried to trigger communal disharmony by attacking a travel agent who was wearing a saffron-coloured towel in Kalasipalya bus stand have been #ARRESTED. @timesofindia pic.twitter.com/BZE47aaRMk
— TOI Bengaluru (@TOIBengaluru) August 26, 2025
Harikrishna, the company manager, who has been with the company for the past 15 years, arrived at the place after hearing the noise. He attempted to stop them, but the Muslim mob did not spare him either and beat him also, ripped his shirt, and abused him.
Manager Harikrishna, in-charge of loading and unloading at Royal Travels, filed a complaint with the police after the incident. “They shoved Shilendra Kumar after asking him why he wore a saffron towel. When I intervened, they abused and beat me up, and tore my shirt. They also asked me why my workers were allowed to wear saffron towels,” Harikrishna mentioned in the FIR.
Firstly, the police had made a non-cognizable report, means no arrest on an immediate basis can be made, and they had treated the incident as a minor rivalry. But the moment the video of the incident went viral on social media and Hindu organizations staged protests, the police action began. Police have filed a case and arrested three accused.
The three accused have been identified as mechanic M Tabrez (30), radium cutter Imran Khan aged 35, and A Aziz Khan (37), a real estate professional.
They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 302 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). Police added more investigation is ongoing and strict action will be taken against the culprits.