Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the coastal Karnataka, a place known for educated, peace loving and cultured citizens, is being used as a testing lab by the communal forces to promote their agendas.
Speaking with media persons after holding a review meeting with police officials on the recent violence, Siddaramaiah said that the State government was pained by the incident and directed the police to identify the people who were instigating the violence.
The chief minister said the police should take a strict action against the communal forces irrespective of the community they belong. “I have given full freedom to the police to take strict action. The police should identify the communal forces, who are polarising the society keeping the upcoming elections in mind, and invoke Goonda act and extern those involved in the violence,” he said.
Stating that the Director General and Inspector General of Police have been asked to visit the area to take stock of the situation, Siddaramaiah said based on their report action will be taken. Earlier, in a close-door review meeting with the senior police officers Siddaramaiah came down heavily on the jurisdictional police officers for failing to contain the violence. “Why didn’t the senior police officers take action against those who instigated the communal violence,” he asked the police.
A member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sharat Madiwala, was stabbed on July 4 in BC Road, in Dakshina Kannada district, and succumbed to his wounds on July 8. On June 21, SDPI’s Ashraf Kalai was hacked to death in Bantwal in the district. “For the past three months, incidents like stabbing have taken place in the district. Some organisations are involved in these incidents, and we need to keep a watch on communal goondas,” the chief minister said.
Siddarmaiah said the perpetrators of the violence had not yet been arrested and all efforts were being made to ensure that the law and order situation in the district returned to normal. “It does not matter if it is the Popular Front of India, the Sri Rama Sene, Bajrang Dal, RSS or the SDPI, we will take action,” he added.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure have been in place in the district for over a week. Siddarmaiah said the police would come down on anybody who violates these orders. “We will hold a peace meeting in the district, which has always been known as being peaceful, except recently,” Siddaramaiah said.
Prohibitory orders will be in force until July 11 in Puttur, Sullia, Belthangady and Bantwal in coastal Dakshina Kannada district following recent communal clashes in some areas, police earlier told news agency Press Trust of India.
The orders were initially enforced in Bantwal from May 27 following skirmishes between two groups. Later, it was extended to the four taluks as the violence spread. The murder of SDP’s Kalai at Benjanapadavu in Bantwal further escalated the tension forcing authorities to extend prohibitory orders.
