Mangaluru: As the BJP boycotted the peace committee meeting organised by the Dakshina Kannada district administration, after receiving the suggestions from the political parties and organisation leaders on restoring the peace in the district said that a major political party in the district boycotting the peace committee meeting clearly showed how much concern it had regarding peace in the district.
Asking the police officers to understand who are innocents and who are criminals before booking them, he said his only intention was that the people should live in harmony.
“State Minister U T Khader and I have decided not to react to unnecessary comments by the BJP leaders. This district has witnessed several instances of violence in the past but the present communal scenario is more dangerous like a guerrilla warfare. In the present times, the religion has become like opium. Fanaticism has gone above the head for communals”, he said.
“Opposition leaders are unnecessary blaming me for the violence. Hence I decided to take an oath in Ulaibettu Dargha against such allegations. The present communal violence is a planned organised crime, executed with an intention compared to the previous instances which were emotional outbursts. Police officers, along with arresting the miscreants should also arrest the plotters irrespective of which religion or community they belong to. Violence erupted in the district after a youth was stabbed while he was returning from the Masjid. This district is being turned into communal laboratory”, he lamented.
As the district administration had not responded to the application filed by the Dakshina Kannda Janata Dal (S) to hold a peace walk in the city, an initiative by former prime minister Deve Gowda, party leaders Vasanth Poojary and Aziz Kudroli staged a walk out from the peace meeting.
“Due to the corrupt police officers, the violence in the district is repeating. Government should bring about changes in the police department to restore peace in the district, opined activist Ali Hasan.
Fr. Denis Moras Prabhu said the religious heads of all the communities should educate their people on peaceful life.
Munir Katipalla, DYFI State President said that the communal attacks were not new to the district but particularly during the elections they aggravated. “Police department should work responsibly on this. They should put the real culprits behind the bars. There are instances wherein police have opened rowdy sheets against the innocent. This shouldn’t happen”, he added.
Sunil Kumar Bajal of CITU said the BJP, by boycotting the peace committee meeting had insulted the people of the district.
State Minister U T Khader, Deputy Commissioner K G Jagadish, Police IGP Harishekaran, Commissioner T R Suresh, SP Sudhir Kumar Reddy, MLAs Shakunthala Shetty, K Abhayachandra Jain, MLA Moideen Bava and Mayor Kavitha Sanil were present.
