Bengaluru Police arrested three people for shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans inside the Vidhana Soudha after a Congress candidate won the Rajya Sabha elections. The arrests followed a forensic report confirming the video was real.

The arrested individuals are Ilthaz, Munavar, and Mohammad Shafi. DCP Central, Bengaluru City Police, stated that the arrests were based on the FSL report, circumstantial evidence, witness statements, and other evidence.

The incident occurred on 27 February, when pro-Pakistan slogans were raised after Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain’s victory. The video went viral, but some claimed the slogans were for Hussain. However, the forensic report confirmed that they were pro-Pakistan slogans.

The Congress party and its supporters initially denied the slogans and claimed they were for Hussain. BJP MLAs protested, demanding the culprits’ arrest. The state government ordered a forensic probe, which confirmed the pro-Pakistan slogans.

The BJP cited a private forensic lab’s report supporting this, but Congress rejected it. Karnataka’s home minister criticized the private lab for the report. Despite this, the police made arrests based on evidence and the FSL report.

Here are 10 other pro-Pakistan incidents from different parts of Bharat

• Three Muslim youths in UP’s (Uttar Pradesh) Agra were booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans during an Independence Day rally while waving the Bharatiya flag. The incident occurred in the Gokulpura area, where the accused, Faizan, Shadab, and Mohazzam, were triple-seated on a scooty. A passerby recorded the act, leading to an FIR at Loha Mandi police station. Police arrested the accused, highlighting a trend of such incidents in Agra and pockets of Muslim society nationwide.

• During a Samajwadi Party rally in Agra, a video surfaced showing a man in a red shirt raising pro-Pakistan slogans. The incident occurred during a protest rally against the BJP government. A probe was ordered to verify the video’s authenticity and identify the person. The accused, identified as Pankaj Singh, denied the charge, claiming he only raised slogans in support of the Samajwadi Party. The Samajwadi Party has distanced itself from the incident, and the police are investigating the matter.

• In Udaypurwati town of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, an incident of stone pelting and firing by a Muslim mob occurred during a Marwar Handicraft fair on 7 January 2018. One of the rioters, Arif, was arrested, and a country pistol & live cartridges were recovered from him. The mob attempted to free Arif from police custody, leading to a lathi-charge by the police. Pro-Pakistan slogans were raised by the Islamist mob, and the police lodged a complaint against 21 named and several unnamed persons for treason and other charges.

• In Bengaluru, a 45-year-old woman software professional, Nandini, was attacked by a 100-strong mob chanting pro-Pakistan slogans when she went with police to show the spot of illegal cow slaughter. She accused the police of complicity and suspects the SI of being involved with the criminals. The incident occurred around 8:30 PM in the Avalahalli area near Tippu Circle in Bengaluru’s JP Nagar. Nandini suffered injuries to her head and shoulder, and her car was damaged.

• In UP’s Varanasi, clashes erupted between Shia and Sunni Muslims during a Tazia procession on 29 July 2023 as part of Muharram. Both sides hurled stones, damaged vehicles, and police vehicles were also targeted. Islamists raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans during the clash. Several people were injured, and vehicles were torched.

• In Buldhana district, Maharashtra, a Hindu wedding procession was attacked with stones by a group of Islamists on 18 May 2023. The attackers objected to songs of Sri Ram being played and raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans before pelting stones. The incident occurred during the procession in the Sailani Nagar area of Chikhli.

• Five persons were arrested in Bhojpur for chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans after winning a local badminton tournament. The accused were identified as Mohammad Tanvir Alam, Mohammad Arman, Kallu, and Sonu. The incident occurred during a victory march in the village after the tournament, and the arrests were made after a video of the incident was uploaded on social media. The police confirmed the authenticity of the video.

• Seven people in UP were booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans after Bharat’s cricket team lost to Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match on 24 October 2021. Sedition charges were invoked against them. Three people each were booked in Agra and Bareilly and one in Lucknow. Three individuals in Agra have been arrested for raising pro-Pakistan and anti-Bharat slogans, while others are accused of posting pro-Pakistan content on social media platforms.

• Participants raised pro-Pakistan slogans during a Muharram procession in UP’s Godhna Bazar on 29 July 2023. Following this, 33 individuals were arrested and jailed for disturbing social harmony. Thirteen of them were fined between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 19.80 lakh for encroaching on government land.

• During his visit to Ranchi on 19 June 2022, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi greeted his supporters with “Pakistan Zindabad” chants at the airport. A video of the incident went viral, leading to investigations by the local authorities. This incident is reminiscent of a similar incident in February 2020 when Amulya Leona, at an anti-CAA rally in Bengaluru, shouted “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans in the presence of Owaisi before being removed from the stage.