Mangaluru: In response to a spate of communal incidents that have disrupted peace in coastal Karnataka, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has formed a seven-member fact-finding team that will visit Dakshina Kannada on Thursday.
The delegation, comprising senior Congress leaders, will engage with key stakeholders including the Deputy Commissioner, City Police Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, and various religious and social leaders. They are also scheduled to meet intellectuals, cultural personalities, labour leaders, writers, activists, and representatives from civil society.
KPCC general secretary (administration) Vijay Mulgund said the panel includes MP Syed Naseer Hussain, MLC Manjunath Bhandary, MLA NA Haris, AICC secretary Roji M John, KPCC vice-president VR Sudarshan, former minister Kimmane Ratnakar, and ex-MP K Jayaprakash Hegde. The team will visit Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada, gather ground-level inputs on recent murders and incidents of communal violence, and submit a comprehensive report to the KPCC.
Meanwhile, Mamatha Gatti, chairperson of the Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation, strongly criticized Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje for her recent remarks alleging that the state government is unfairly targeting Hindutva leaders.
Gatti accused Karandlaje of provoking unrest instead of supporting the government’s law-and-order efforts. She further said Karandlaje has done little to address communal tensions in her home district despite holding influential positions, and demanded a public apology.
On Karandlaje’s critique of Congress’ guarantee schemes, Gatti responded that the initiatives have significantly aided women’s empowerment.
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