Hyderabad: The Ranga Reddy Police have registered a case against four individuals, including C.S. Rangarajan, the head priest of the Chilkur Balaji Temple, for alleged hate speech delivered during a rally in Hyderabad. The case was filed on January 28 following a complaint by Rehman Khan, an advocate and resident of Shah Ali Banda, regarding statements made at the ‘Dharma Raksha Sabha’ held in the Balapur area on January 24.
Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) naming priest C.S. Rangarajan, Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) leader Ravi Kumar, advocate Karuna Sagar Kashimshetty, and Girdhar Swami Shastri. They have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically Section 196 (1) for promoting enmity between groups, Section 223 for disobedience to orders promulgated by a public servant, and Section 3(5) regarding acts done with shared criminal purpose. The FIR alleges that the speakers portrayed the Muslim community and Rohingya refugees as dangerous, encouraged violence, and violated orders set by the Telangana High Court, which had permitted the event despite objections from the state government.
The rally was organized by the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti (BGUS) under the slogan "Jago Bhagyanagar – Chalo Balapur" to consolidate the Hindu community against alleged conspiracies such as "love jihad" and "land jihad." According to reports, speaker Girdhar Swami Shastri made highly inflammatory remarks, declaring he would not rest until India was converted into a "Hindu Rashtra." He allegedly characterized the Quran as a source of invasion and rejected the concept of secularism, urging the Hindu community to respond to "bricks with stones" and "sticks with swords and spears with pistol revolvers."
Shastri further appealed to women to prioritize martial training for their children over the arts. He urged mothers to stop teaching nursery rhymes and instead teach children how to handle weapons, suggesting they be sent to RSS shakhas or martial arts classes rather than dance lessons. Other speakers also raised political demands; Chilkur Balaji priest C.S. Rangarajan argued for the inclusion of Lord Rama in the Indian Constitution.
Additionally, advocate Karuna Sagar Kashimshetty targeted the refugee population, asserting that Rohingyas do not qualify as refugees under Indian law. Stating that "India is not a dharmashala," he called on the state government to identify and detain illegal refugees. The event concluded with a formal demand for the Centre and state governments to arrest and deport illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants living in Hyderabad.