JOIN USBharatiya Janata Party District Committee president Sanjiv Mathandoor has criticised the state government for lodging cases against the leaders of the party and Hindu outfits.
Addressing media persons on Monday, he said that cases have been lodged against Hindu Jagarana Vedike leader Satyajit Surathkal, BJP district Yuva Morcha president Harish Poonja and Bajrang Dal leaders Sharan Pumpwell, Muralikrishna Hasanthadka and Pradeep under IPC Sections 307, 308, 146 and 147. They have been wrongly accused of provoking violence during the funeral procession of Sharath Madiwala on Saturday by fixing them in the incidents of stone throwing and violence, he charged.
“The state government has been specifically targeting the leaders of BJP and Hindu outfits. Also, prohibitory orders are imposed in four taluks. These are the attempts by the government to hide the failure of the Home Department in maintaining law and order situation. The law and order has utterly collapsed in Bantwal, District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai’s own constituency.
The hands of police are tied by the state government. The Hindu organisations are treated as extremist organisations. Why Rai is not speaking about the role of criminal elements which have sneaked into the district from Kerala, the sand mafia and the drug mafia? Why the accused in RSS worker Sharath Madiwala’s murder have not been arrested so far?” Mathandoor wanted to know.
The government should let the Police Department conduct an unbiased investigation of the case. Or else, the case should be handed over to the CBI, he demanded.
He said that the protest meet at Kalladka on last Friday was conducted peacefully and nobody took law into their hands.
MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, former MLC Monappa Bha-ndary, leaders Nagaraj Shetty, Yogish Bhat, Kishor Rai, Sudarshan, Y Bharat Shetty and Sanjay Prabhu were present at the press meet.