Police in Karnataka have filed a case against 12 members of Sri Ram Sene (SRS) for allegedly conducting rifle training in Todalabagi village, Bagalkot, during the last week of December.
The complaint states that the rifle training took place on the final day of a week-long personality development program held on a farmer’s field. Around 196 young people participated in the training.
The case was registered nearly a week after the event, following a memorandum submitted by the Bengaluru-based NGO All India Association for Justice to Director General of Police Alok Mohan. The group raised concerns after a video of the training session was shared on social media.
Bagalkot police confirmed that the farmer, on whose land the training took place, was unaware that rifle training was part of the program. “A case has been filed, and investigations are ongoing,” said Superintendent of Police Amarnath Reddy on January 9.
SRS founder Pramod Mutalik defended the program, claiming that air guns were used, not real rifles. He explained that the training, part of an annual personality development program, was intended to instill values of nationalism and patriotism among youth aged 20-30.
