Bantwal: FIR against Prabhakar Bhat - Hindu outfits gherao police station

Pics: Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal

Bantwal, Mar 19: Members of various Hindu organizations on Tuesday March 18 gheraoed Bantwal town police station and protested, alleging that the police had filed FIR against RSS leader Dr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat without conducting any inquiry.

On March 17, the police lodged an FIR against Prabhakar Bhat based on a complaint given by Abubakker Siddique. In the complaint, it was alleged that Bhat had delivered a provocative speech and made derogatory remarks against a religion during Hindu Sangama programme at BC Road on March 2.

Addressing the protest, Hindu Hitarakshana Samiti convener Jitendra S Kottari said, "Police bowed to political pressure and filed an FIR without conducting any inquiry. When election code of conduct was violated by zilla panchayat member Chandraprakash Shetty and others during Congress convention, no action was taken nor any case filed. Why is the police now taking such action against a Hindu leader?

"If the police fail to investigate and punish the person who made the false allegations, we will intensify our protest," he warned.

VHP district secretary Jagadish Shenava, Dr Kamala P Bhat, advocate Asha Prasad, K Padmanabha Kottary, A Rukamayya Poojary, Srikar Prabhu, BJP district president Pratap Simha Nayak, Rajesh Naik and others participated in the protest.

Members and supporters of various Hindu organizations sat on a dharna in front of the police station and shouted slogans. They said that police should not buckle under political pressure from the Congress. "Police should take action against criminals from the Congress instead of targeting Hindu leaders," they said.

ACP T P Shivakumar accepted a memorandum from the protestors and assured that proper investigation will be done into the case.

DySP Rashmi, circle inspector Rajshekar Mestry, SI Sanjay Kumar and others were at the spot. The protest was called off after the memorandum was submitted.