The arrest of three youths for allegedly shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” in the Vidhana Soudha corridors following Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain’s victory in the recent Rajya Sabha elections has put the Karnataka government under pressure.

City police arrested three youths identified with the help of voice sampling done at the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) that confirmed the slogan raised was indeed “Pakistan Zindabad”.

Visual media footage from Vidhana Soudha had shown how Hussain’s supporters had resorted to sloganeering, but Hussain and the Congress had argued that they had shouted “Naseer Khan Zindabad” and “Naseer Saab Zindabad”.

The city police, however, registered a case and referred the matter to the FSL, which conducted a digital forensic examination to determine the content of the slogan. They also took voice samples of the Congress supporters who were visible around Hussain during the celebration to identify the suspects.

Home minister G. Parameshwar on Tuesday confirmed the FSL findings that led to the arrest of the trio. “We have arrested them on the basis of the FSL report that confirmed they had shouted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’,” Parameshwar told reporters.

The BJP demanded that the Congress apologise and explain the premature denial.