Bantwal: Sangh Parivar leader Prabhakar Bhat Kalladka on Monday brushed aside a police notice issued to him, saying he was not concerned about facing yet another case as he already had more than 110 cases against him.

“If I have done anything in violation of the law, file a case against me. I have no objection. I have seen all this before. They are now trying to file another case against me, but I am not worried. There are more than 110 cases against me. Compared to that, this is nothing,” Bhat said, likening the latest development to “a strand of hair”.

Bhat was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a protest meeting organised by the Mangaluru Rural district units of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal near Rakteshwari Sannidhi in BC Road.

The protest was held against the continued arrest of Hindutva organisation activists under the Goonda Act despite courts having granted them bail.

Defending his right to speak, Bhat said, “I can speak to anyone. The Constitution, through Dr BR Ambedkar, has guaranteed us freedom of speech. I have spoken. What is wrong with what I said? Did I go to them and ask them to beat anyone? Did I ask them to kill anyone? Didn’t they get the conversation? If they did, let them see what was actually said.”

“Are you going to register a case based on this? Does that mean nobody should speak anymore? Don’t you speak to Bharat Raj?” he asked reporters.

“Will you file a case against yourselves simply because you held a microphone for Prabhakar Bhat? What kind of madness is this?” he said.

Bhat said there was a need to “put an end to such madness” and expressed concern over what he described as increasing pressure on the Hindu community.

“If this kind of attack on Hindu society continues, it will become difficult to live. We have only one country — India. This is the country where we have to live. It is our sacred land and we cannot go elsewhere. Nobody should therefore obstruct our freedom. If we have violated the law, file a case against us,” he said.

Questioning the police action, Bhat said people were being summoned merely for making phone calls.

“They call us by giving a date. Will they summon someone simply because they made a phone call? All of you make phone calls, and others do too. Will they summon everyone? Will they call someone immediately after a phone call? What kind of madness is this?” he asked.

He alleged that the authorities themselves were violating the law, leading to growing dissatisfaction among people.

“We are looking for a way to live peacefully. We are not asking anyone to be removed, attacked or beaten. We are asking for protection. Give us protection in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” Bhat said.

Asked what he would do about the police notice, Bhat said he would wait and see what followed.

“Let us see what happens. I have seen a lot. There are more than 110 cases against me and I have dealt with them. Let them deal with this too. What is going to happen?” he said.

Bhat also recalled having been jailed in the past, saying that he and his wife had been arrested during the tenure of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

“I have already been to jail. Not only me, even my wife was taken to jail during Indira Gandhi’s time. What more can they do? The only thing left is to hang me. Let them do it if they have the courage,” he said.