Mangaluru: A delegation of BJP leaders, headed by Dakshina Kannada district BJP president Satish Kumpala, strongly objected to the proposed externment of 36 individuals—many linked to Hindutva outfits—during a meeting with Superintendent of Police Dr Arun K and City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy on Tuesday.
The BJP leaders criticized the move to register FIRs against several Sangh Parivar members, demanding the immediate removal of their names from the list. They argued that no recent cases had been filed against many of the individuals and urged that night-time police visits to their homes be stopped. The delegation included MLAs Dr Y Bharat Shetty, Umanath Kotian, Rajesh Naik Ulepady, Harish Poonja, and others.
A similar meeting took place in Udupi, where Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar led a team including Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, Kundapur MLA Kiran Kodgi, and Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty. They met SP Hariram Shankar to express concerns over alleged harassment of Hindutva activists.
Satish Kumpala warned that if such “pressure tactics” continued, it would disrupt regional harmony. He alleged that the police action—initiated by former Commissioner Anupam Agrawal—was politically motivated and reminiscent of the Emergency era. He added that both BJP and Sangh Parivar would decide their future course if the situation persists.
The leaders also urged police to focus on cracking down on actual crimes like matka and gambling rather than “demoralizing” their cadre.
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