Mangaluru: Mangalore North MLA Dr. Bharat Shetty has strongly criticized the state government, claiming that the recent deterioration in the district’s law and order is due to ineffective governance and appeasement politics, not because of Hindu leaders.
He expressed concern over the FIR filed against RSS leader Dr. Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, labeling it a political tactic aimed at pleasing certain sections. Dr. Shetty cautioned that the government must understand the consequences of provoking unrest, indirectly comparing the move to disturbing a beehive.
He defended Bhat’s right to speak on issues affecting Hindu society, asking whether expressing grievances about injustice now amounts to provocation. “The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. The voice of Hindus cannot be suppressed by slapping cases,” he asserted.
Dr. Shetty also questioned the timing of the FIR, stating that filing it after 20 days appeared to be a strategy to retain defectors from their party.
Raising further concerns, he condemned alleged midnight interrogations, taking photographs of Hindu leaders’ homes, and intimidating rural activists under the guise of investigation. He called these actions unlawful and reminiscent of the Emergency era.
The MLA urged the government to focus instead on arresting the actual perpetrators in the Suhas Shetty murder case, pointing out that CCTV footage reveals the truth. He demanded an unbiased investigation, insisting that public trust in the law can only be restored through impartiality, not intimidation.
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