Mangalore: 'Communal Violence Bill Vote Bank Gimmick to Appease Minorities'
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Nov 23: People in large numbers, much beyond the expectations of the organisers, flooded into Nehru Maidan here on Wednesday November 23, after a procession was taken out from Jyothi Circle to voice their opposition to the proposed ‘Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill-2011’.
Addressing the gathering, RSS leader Dr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat expressed his fury over the proposed bill and said that never before had even a single ‘autocrat’ dared to propose such a bill, which has the intention of creating communal hatred among people by dividing them through law.
"The bill even has a strange provision to arrest police themselves if they delay in filing complaint by anyone from the minority community. Till date, communal clashes have occured only in places where either Muslims or Christians were the dominant community, and not Hindus. Thus the proposed bill is a vote bank gimmick to appease the minorities," he said.
On a sarcastic note Dr Bhat said that Sonia Gandhi might have fooled Rajiv Gandhi, but not the people of this nation.
The bill does not apply to Jammu Kashmir where Hindus are the minority, which means the bill is biased, he added.
The bill was drafted by a committee consisting of seven members among whom four were from the minority community, and none of them were judges of any court, contrary to the norm followed at the time of forming a committee to draft a bill, he said. "However, police and judges of the court of law are bound to bend to this law in future. This is disrespect to the judicial system of the nation," he said.
He asserted that one should follow sound politics and not politics backed by unlawful practices. He also said that not many people aware of this proposed bill, and that everyone should spread the agenda behind this ‘draconian’ law.
About Dr Veerappa Moily’s stand on the bill, he said, "Moily claims that he wrote Ramayana Mahanweshanam, but is not carrying out his duties in the right way. He did not write it, but only signed after somebody else wrote it."
He received thunderous applause when he referred to the recent rampage at St Alphonsa Church in the city, and said, "The present silence of the church authorities is an indication that there was unethical activity going on in the church, and Sangha Parivar was blamed for no fault." He also urged COD investigation into the matter.
Prof M B Puranik, state vice-president of VHP Karnataka in his keynote address said that the bill was unfortunate and the present condition seems to be worse than that of during the Emergency. "This is a weapon to curb the power of Hindus and is opposed by all," he said.
Shree Sadguru Rajayogi Ramananda Swamiji of Shree Kshetra Kollya, Shree Mohandasa Swamiji of Shree Dhama Manila, Shree Rajashekarananda Swamiji of Shree Kshetra Vajradehi Mutt, Gurupura blessed the occasion.
Shree Rajashekarananda Swamiji said that the mammoth protest against the bill itself is an indication to the central government to withdraw the proposed bill. "Corporate affairs minister Dr Veerappa Moily, who said that there was a need for the bill, may not be allowed to enter his native district by the people. This mammoth protest itself is a message to the government that the bill should not be introduced for discussion in the winter session of the two houses."
Muniyappa, Prantha Sanghatana Pramukh, Dharma Jagarana Karnataka in his keynote address said that there was need for a bill against terrorism in the nation. "Mahatma Gandhiji in those days felt the dire need for a bill against religious conversion. Also, we need a bill against cow slaughtering, but the UPA has done nothing. But they have proposed the controversial communal and targeted violence bill," he lamented. Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) was withdrawn by the same UPA government and now to gain vote bank from minorities the communal and targeted violence bill is proposed, he added.
Dr P Vaman Shenoy, honorary president of Hindu Hitharakshana Vedike, Mangalore presided.
Ramesh S welcomed. Harish Achar delivered vote of thanks. Traffic was diverted from 2 pm in some parts of the city.
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