'Bengaluru for Love' rises against hate after Tejasvi's communal remark

The online collective 'Bengaluru For Love' has begun a hashtag campaign called Nammoora Ellaru Nammavaru (Our City is Everyone's City) five days after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya raided a city hospital to berate Muslim staff for allegedly blocking beds of COVID patients.

"We are together in this fight," said the note shared by the group. "We shall not allow a few politicians to divide us to cover up their own failures in managing this crisis."

"As we all continue to ask for more beds, oxygen, vaccines, medicines and food, let us also take a moment to repose our faith in our aspiration to make Bengaluru a city for all!" the note reads, with additional requests for creative works to spread the message.

CPI(ML) member Avani Chokshi put up a doodle of two women hugging along with the message that various cultures, religions and traditions of Bangalore stood united against hatred.

"I stand against the communal politics of Tejasvi_Surya," Chokshi declared.

Surya and a group of men had entered the South COVID War Room under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to accuse 16 Muslim staff of having 'blocked off' beds. The allegedly communal remarks made by Surya were widely criticised on social media although the MP reiterated his stand that the incident was not communal and that he had intended to expose a racket of creating artificial bed shortages that could then be used to sell remaining beds to patients at an exorbitant price.