Mangalore: Neermarga clashes: Protestors warn of bandh if culprits not caught
Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Nov 6: “Let police do their duty in arresting the criminals, if not we will catch the culprits and hand them over to the police”, said Harish Moodushedde, taluk panchyath president, addressing a protest held in front of the Mangalore rural police station, here on Wednesday November 6.
The protest was held by the Hindu Samrakshana Vedike in connection to the communal clash that had occurred recently at Mallur in Neermarga.
The protestors claimed that the police department had failed to catch the accused in the case due to political pressure.
Addressing the protestors, Harish said, "At the time of the Mallur communal clash, the police completely failed to arrest the accused, even though they were seen roaming in the area."
He further alleged, "Some political leaders have been supporting the culprits, which clearly shows that the state and the central governments have become anti-Hindu. If the police fail to catch the culprits in the next five days, Neermarga area will be under a bandh followed by a district-level protest. We will ourselves catch the culprits and hand them over to the police."
VHP leader Jagadish Shenava said, "Earlier in a protest meet with regard to this matter, we had warned of a protest in front of the police station within three days, but as it was festival season, the protest has been held today instead. The police department has now promised to catch the culprits within 5 days, failing which Neermarga bandh will be called, followed by the district-level protest and further, a Mangalore bandh.
"In the next few days, if atrocities on the Hindu community increase and if any intolerable incident takes place, we will lose patience; the police department will be directly responsible for the act. Some white-clothed people (politicians) have been stopping the police department from taking action against the accused, but their power will not work in front of our saffron shawls," he warned.
Leaders Sharan Pumpwell, Kumar Malemar, Jeethendra Kottary, Veerappa Moodushedde, Pradeep Pumpwell, Puneeth Pumpwell, Bhujanga Kulal along with activists of VHP, Bajarang Dal, Sri Ram Sene, Hindu Yuva Sene and others were present.
Tight police security was deployed at the spot.