Pics: Ramesh Pandith / Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MD)

Mangalore, Apr 4: "Go Go Rahul Go! Go Go Rahul Go!" - thus shouting slogans and showing black flags, the DYFI, SFI, and the Forum Against Atrocities on Women expressed their ire at the Congress party for not giving adequate security to women in the country.

The protest was held on Friday April 4 near the DC office, close to Nehru Maidan where AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi was about to address a rally.

Addressing the gathering, Fr Vinod Mascarenhas of Vimukthi Trust, Ujire, said, "Today we have all gathered here to let people know that there is no security for women. We hear lot of bad news these days. Will crimes against women ever stop? What are the politicians doing? Where are the police? They are not arresting the criminals. We have not come here to listen to any speech. Everyone should raise their voice against politicians."

Shahanaz of Forum Against Atrocities on Women said that the politicians need only power and that morale policing by Bajrang Dal and other outfits should stop.

Dayanand Shetty of DYFI said, "Moral policing is still going on in the district. We have see many instances of moral policing from several years, like pub attack, home stay attack and Deralakatte incident. There is no security for women, they are not safe; they cannot come out of their houses at night. They do not have freedom to move about without fear. Even corporator Prathibha Kulai was subjected to harassment, and people feel scared to go to those areas. Moral policing has been going on in the name of religion. Mangalore has become like Dandupalya.

"The government has failed to take action against criminals. Before coming to the power, Ramanath Rai had said that moral policing and other illegal activities will be stopped, but he has forgotten his promise," he added.

Muneer Katipalla of DYFI, social activist Vidya Dinkar, Nithin Kuthar of SFI, Kirana Prabha, B K Imthiaz and others were present during the protest.

When the protestors started to move towards Nehru Maidan where the Congress rally was going on, the police intervened and detained them. They were rounded up in vehicles and taken to the police station.