Mangaluru: After holding demonstration for about a week demanding compensation to the family of a bullet tanker driver who was allegedly killed, most of the drivers have got back to work after the police used force to subdue the demonstration.
It may be recalled that a driver named Saravanan was allegedly thrown down from an overbridge while cleaner Thangaraju was brutally assaulted by sons of influential politicians after a clash triggered between them over an minor issue. No action has been taken against the accused so far. Miffed with this, the bullet gas tanker drivers’ union staged a demonstration in front of the HPCL office in Surathkal demanding Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh compensation to Saravanan and Thangaraju’s families respectively.
Responding to the police action against the protesters, State President of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Muneer Katipalla, said that protests will continue, although the police have not been allowing protesters near HPCL office.
On Sunday January 3, DYFI and CITU activists mobbed Surathkal police station demanding suspension of ACP Madhan Gaonkar. They accused him of accepting bribe from influential bullet gas tanker owners from Tamil Nadu and misusing his power to suppress the protest. They also took out a protest from Kana to Surathkal police station demanding the same. He said a written memorandum would soon be handed over to new Police Commissioner of Mangaluru City M Chandra Sekhar in this regard.
He said that according to law, the police do not hold the right to interfere in protests undertaken by the labour union, but the ACP in question has violated the rules to act in favour of the tanker owners.
A letter was also written to the district Deputy Commissioner who in turn has assured to look into the matter.
