Sri Bommak Murali, RNS colony president located in Bodduppal, Hyderabad, threatened to close the veda-pathasala citing sound pollution and irritation during the recitation of Vedas.
The veda-pathasala is being run by Shri Shashibhushan Sharma (President) and Shri K. Sitarama Ghanapathi (Vice-president) since three years. Currently, it is being run with the assistance of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and donors based in the state of Telengana. At present 32 students are studying in this pathasala from a rented one-storeyed building.
The pathasala is set to celebrate its 3rd anniversary on December 3rd 2017 and hence, the organizers booked a Ganesh Mandapa situated in the same colony.
On 23rd of November, Mr Bommak Murali called up Shashibhushan Sharma and demanded to shut the pathashala down or relocate at the earliest to jungles citing weird arguments. Though Sharma was listening patiently to the reasons of complaint, Murali took this silence as an advantage and went on to abuse the Vedas and relevance of them in the current times. Mr. Murali claimed that it was causing sound pollution and disturbing the sleep of the residents of the locality. Shri Sharma politely replied that it would take some time to relocate 32 students. The conversation ended there.
However, the next day, Mr. Murali called once again and immediately threatened and verbally abused Shri Sharma and gave an ultimatum to vacate the premised within 2 days, else he will force them to leave. Shri Sharma patiently replied and tried to reason that it would be difficult to relocate the 32 young students (ages 7-16) at such short notice. This is when Mr. Murali responded by asking him to take the children into the river. During the course of the conversation, Mr. Murali even went on to question the need of teaching the Vedas in the modern day. In a fit of rage, he even went on to shout that “…we don’t need the stench of Vedas…”
Case filed
Mr. Murali behaved in an undignified and uncivilized manner so unbecoming of someone of his reputation as a film producer and stature as a chairman of a residential colony. Recordings of two such threatening telephonic conversations were submitted as evidence and an FIR was registered against Mr. Murali at the Medipally police station.
A rally in solidarity
A rally was held at from Boduppal to support the unity of Hindus. Around 500 individuals gathered peacefully and walked from the local Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy temple upto the pathashala. It was unanimously decided that the pathashala will not be relocated.
Once this news spread in social media, a group claiming to be members of “Samatha Sainik Dal” started posting abusive posts members of VHP and RSS and also targetted the brahmin community.
Translation:
“O RSS Goondas…!
If you try to disturb Bommaku Murali, producer of Sharanam Gacchaami, we will cut your Pilakas (shikhas)
Chalo Boduppal R.N.S. Colony under the supervision of Samatha Sainika Dal and Dalit associations on December 3rd.”
End of translation.
Various organisations have demanded that the government must provide security to the children.
