Mangaluru: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) urged the state government to file a criminal case against Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Dr P S Harsha, Deputy Commissioner of Police Arunangshu Giri and Inspector Shantharam Kunder, alleging that they are the root cause for the two deaths during the recently held protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, December 24, SDPI state president Ilyas Mohammed Thumbe alleged that Police Commissioner Dr Harsha’s bureaucratic and aggressive attitude provoked the protesters into becoming violent. “Even though protesters approached Dr P S Harsha and sought permission to hold a protest on December 19, he refused to give them permission claiming that the CAA and NRC would never cause problems for the Muslim community. Being a police officer, how can he suppress our democratic right to protest?” he questioned.
Ilyas claimed that the police department is misguiding the public by giving false details about the incident. “The intention of the police was to kill somebody from the Muslim community, which was revealed by the statement made by police inspector Shantharam Kunder. The police’s claim that the protesters intended to set fire to the police station and that they planned to take the arms and ammunitions from the police station, is far from the truth,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, Ilyas informed that the SDPI is planning to wage a legal battle against the three police officials whose hasty actions caused to the death of two innocent people. “We have approached our legal counsel to fight against the police officials,” he said and added that the SDPI will stage a massive protest against the police firing and the CAA and NRC in the near future.
SDPI district president Athaullah Jokatte, secretaries Iqbal Bellare, Ashraf Manchi, treasurer Noorullah Kulai, corporator Muneeb Bengre and others were present.
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