Mangaluru: A peace meeting was held in the city with the Deputy commissioner, city police commissioner and members of the conflicting and other communities present, after tension and violence prevailed in Mangaluru over the last couple of days over what appear to be petty issues.
In the meeting Political leaders, organizations and activists blamed the Mangaluru City Police for communal clashes that erupted from Ulaibettu recently.
Participants pointed to the failure of police in bringing law and order situation under control after initial clashes were reported at Ulaibettu on Friday night. Many said that the situation could have been kept under control, had the police acted tough at the initial stage itself.
Former district in-charge minister J Krishna Palemar said the city police should be strong enough to face situations. He said that when he was the district in charge minister, this never happened. He also said that the police force in the city and district is inactive and they are being demoralized. No actions have been taken even when assistant commissioner of police Thilak Chandra, sub inspector Bharathi and cops at Ullal, Kadri and Uppinagady police stations are assaulted. City police commissioner should be strong and act sternly against miscreants, he said.
Former MLA N Yogish Bhat said that the recent communal clashes affected only middle class and poor laborers and they do not belong to any organizations and political parties. Police should arrest the right persons and take action, whatever be his religion and political affiliation, Bhat said.
DYFI Dakshina Kannada district president said that there is an organised attempt to destroy peace in the society. “Police should act tough against miscreants without bias. Action should be taken against those who spread rumors too,” he added.
CPI(M) state secretariat member Yadav Shetty urged city police to ensure protection for common man from minority and majority communal forces that are allegedly trying to dismantle peace in society. JD(S) leader Ram Ganesh said while many innocents are behind bars, those miscreants who sparked communal clashes are yet to be nabbed.
City police commissioner R Hithendra said that a departmental inquiry on Ulaibettu communal clash and other related incidents has been ordered. Assistant commissioner of police GV Subramanian will be conducting the inquiry into the incident and report will be submitted soon, the commissioner said.
DC Ibrahim said that police will take stringent action against miscreants. He also promised that the hospital bills of those who are assaulted in communal clashes will be paid by the district administration.
Boycott
Muslim organizations – Muslim Central Committee (MCC) Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District unit, Dakshina Kannada District Samyuktha Muslim Jamath (SMJ) and Popular Front of India (PFI) boycotted the peace meeting held at the city police commissionerate on Tuesday.
MCC and PFI boycotted the meet citing the reason of absence of local people representatives including district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai and Mangalore City North MLA BA Mohiuddeen Bava at the meet.
Meanwhile, Samyuktha Muslim Jamath members are aggrieved over the arrest of innocents and restrictions in Ulaibettu Masjid premises.
Police Commissioner, Hithendra said that MLAs and ministers were not present as the Assembly Session has started in Belagavi.