Police not given free hand in Dakshina Kannada, says Yeddyurappa

Udupi, Jul 14: The reason for the failure of police in controlling the situation in Dakshina Kannada is the interference of ruling Congress, according to BJP leader and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Speaking at a public meeting organised by the district unit of the BJP against the attacks on activists of saffron groups, here, he said that the police were working under tremendous pressure from the State government.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had in a meeting of top-level police officers in Bengaluru reportedly questioned the large crowds during the funeral procession of Sharath Madivala, an RSS activist, who was murdered at BC Road on July 4.

Mr. Siddaramaiah had berated the police officers in the meeting and had directed his advisor, Kempaiah, to take direct charge of the coastal districts.

“Does it mean that the Chief Minister has no confidence in his police officers?” he questioned.

He said that the death of RSS activist Sharath Madivala was deliberately announced 20 hours late and, as a result, his father, Taniya could not donate the former’s eyes.

As many as 24 persons belonging to the Hindutva groups had died in the last four years. But the government had not taken any action in the matter, he said.

Though it was nine days since the death of Sharath, the police were yet to trace his assailants.

Though there were prohibitory orders in force in Dakshina Kannada for over a week, the situation was showing no signs of returning to a normality, he said.

While the government was dealing with the Hindu groups firmly, it was treating both the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) and Popular Front of India (PFI) with kid gloves. Both these organisations should be banned, he said.

V. Sunil Kumar, Karkala MLA, said that since the government was not protecting the Hindus, the people of the Hindu community should start arming themselves with weapons during this “Ayudha Puja” festival.

Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, Raghupati Bhat, Udaykumar Shetty, T.V. Hegde, Sheela K. Shetty, Shyamala Kundar, BJP leaders, were present.