It's Republic of Mangalore, say Congress members

Bangalore, July 31: Two days after thugs brutalised some young men and women at a homestay in Mangalore, the Opposition Congress squarely blamed the ruling BJP for the recurrence of such barbaric incidents in the district.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday said in the Assembly that the government's failure to take stringent action against the habitual offenders was the main reason for a repeat of such attacks.

He said the police in Mangalore had become helpless onlookers and the City was apparently turning into a 'Republic of Mangalore', with the tacit support of the State government. (Bellary had earned the dubious sobriquet when lawlessness reigned in the district).

He said the government should hold the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police responsible for the incident, which is akin to Talibanisation. The immoral behaviour of the attackers has put the entire civil society to shame.

The police, who were at the spot, remained mute spectators when the hooligans were thrashing and molesting women, while senior officers have released a BJP corporator after arresting him in connection with the incident. This clearly showed the government's support to organisations which take law into their hands in the name of protecting Hindutva, he said.

Siddaramaiah said Subhash Padil, the convenor of Hindu Jagaran Vedike in Mangalore, admitted without hesitation that he was behind the attacks on the youth at the homestay. He was also involved in a similar attack on a pub in Mangalore in 2009 and was booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and sent to jail. He has been projecting himself as a protector of Hinduism. The government should have externed him then, he said.

“Is it a crime to celebrate birthday parties...or drink beer? In Mangalore, if two youngsters belonging to the Hindu and the Muslim community speak to each other, organisations claiming to be saviours of Hindutva mindlessly attack them. Why is the government tolerating such moral policing, words that find no mention in the Constitution or the Indian Penal Code. It looks like there is no governance or government in the State,” he said.

Several Congress MLAs joined the issue and alleged that law and order situation is worsening in the district.