Police supporting BJP in forcing shop closures: Ivan

Mangalore, January 22: Congress leader Ivan D'Souza on Saturday accused the Mangalore police of directly involving in the state-wide bundh called by Bharatiya Janata party rather than maintaining law and order in the coastal city.

Addressing media persons at the district Congress office, D'Souza said police have led the shutting down campaign in many parts of the city. “Many owners were forced to roll down the shutters of their shops in Hampankatta and Urva Market by the police themselves” he alleged.

Terming the bundh called against Governor HR Bhardwaj's decision to allow filing of criminal cases against Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa over various grave allegations of corruption and criminal misconduct an apparently illegal and anti-democratic move by the rulers of the state, he also accused the government officials of joining hands with the corrupt rulers in a 'bad cause'.

Criticising Deputy Director of Public Instruction C Chame Gowda for suddenly announcing holiday to schools and colleges in view of bundh, D'Souza said DDPI has misused his power to contribute to the 'unlawful bundh'.

Condemning the act of Chairman of Karnataka State Govt. Minorities Development Corporation Anwar Manippady, who was in the forefront of a protest rally organised by the BJP in the city in the morning, D'Souza questioned “How can a person holding a top post of a constitutional body indulge in such illegal and anti-constitutional acts?”

Justifying the Governor's stand, he said the Supreme Court itself had nodded for the prosecution against Chief Ministers in Bihar and Tamil Nadu in the past.

Demanding the immediate resignation of Yeddyurappa, the Congress leader warned the BJP that if it continued to support CM, the people of the state will feel that saffron party is supporting corruption.

He said BJP is solely responsible for all the bundh related losses being caused to the state economy.

Asked about the allegations made against police, City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said that the police are carrying out their responsibility of maintaining law and order in the city.

“The allegations of forcing shop owners to shut down their shops against police have no proof. It's mere an allegation. However we will conduct an inquiry into the allegations because it is very serious,” he said.