Peace meet: Police urged to be ruthless towards hatemongers; BJP boycotts

Mangaluru, Jul 13: The Bharatiya Janta Party on Thursday chose to boycott the peace meet organized by the Dakshina Kannada district in the city to find out solution for the communal disturbance in the region.

Speaking to media persons BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said the party leaders decided to boycott the peace meeting since the government has failed to arrest the killers of RSS worker Sharath Madivala, who was attacked in BC Road on July 4 and died three days later.

 "We do not trust the government that protects the miscreants. Hence, we have decided to boycott the peace meeting. I, along with MPs Shobha Karandlaje and Nalin Kumar Kateel have decided to hold Satyagraha in Mangaluru if accused in Sharath's murder were arrested," Yeddyurappa said.

Meanwhile, at the peace meeting, JD(S) leader Vasanth Poojari and other party workers staged a walked out as a request made by them to hold padayatre for peace from Mangaluru to Kalladka was not permitted by the district administration and police.

"We have sought permission to hold a padayatre for peace by our party Supremo and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and president H D Kumaraswamy, but the same has been declined by the police and district administration. Hence, we are boycotting the peace," Poojari said.

Meanwhile, leaders of CPI(M), Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and various other organisations pointed out lack of stringent action on part of the police department, hate campaigns through social media and provocative speeches by leaders reason for communal friction in the district.

CPI(M) leader Yadav Shetty said false messages of religious conversion, love jihad and cow slaughter leads to hatred among different communities in the region.

"The district administration has the responsibility to provide the status of such messages clarifying whether such instances are actually reported. Innocent people are being made scapegoats in many criminal cases," he said.

K R Sriyan, state secretariat member of the CPI(M) said, "Political parties are trying to politicize murders and crimes through statements. Hence, action needs to be taken against those leaders, who make provocative statements."

Fr Denis Moras Prabhu, Vicar General of Mangalore Diocese, suggested that leaders of all religions should take initiatives to advise their followers and promote communal harmony.

V Seetharam Berinja, CPI Mangalore taluk secretary, said provocative speeches of leaders responsible for communal tension in the district. "Hate speeches made by leaders provoke miscreants, who take land into their hands. Those leaders, who help miscreants, never get punished," he added.

Muneer Katipalla, DYFI state president said, "political leaders are adding fuel to fire by making provocative speeches when murders and communal incidents are reported. All accused in murder of Ashraf Kalaai and Sharath Madivala should be arrested at the earliest."

Also Read: ‘Communal forces adopting ‘guerilla’ techniques to disrupt peace’