Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 23: Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has criticized the district administration, police department and people's representatives in controlling communal clashes and murder of innocent people in Dakshina Kannada district. The party gave a call for the resignation of district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, for his inability to make the officials bring the situation under control.

Addressing a press conference in SDPI office here on Thursday June 22, national general secretary of SDPI, Illyas Muhammed Thumbay, asked the district administration to own responsibility for failing to control communally charged atmosphere in the district and Sangh Parivar activists. He demanded the immediate arrest of the killers of Muhammed Ashraf Kalayi from Ammunje and also those who provoked the attackers. Noting that Ramanath Rai's confession that the police are not heeding to his advice exposes his helplessness, he advised Rai to resign from the post, and sought appointment of some other minister as district in-charge.

He said that the effort to project murdered Muhammed Ashraf, who was innocent, as a rowdy sheeter has given rise to a sense of insecurity among the people. "We have information that police have been hand in glove with the Sangh Parivar. In the recent incident of stone pelting at Kalladka, 23 Muslims were arrested because of police personnel who do not obey sincere police officers. In the case of Jaleel Karopady's murder too, the person identified by the victim's father has not yet been arrested, and murderers are being shielded," he alleged.

Noting that transfer of superintendent of police is not a remedy to this problem, he insisted that minorities who are being blamed for communal mindset actually are not communal. He demanded suitable compensation for the family of Muhammed Ashraf, who has left behind wife and three children.

SDPI district vice president, Siddique Puttur, district secretary Iqbal Bellare, district treasurer, Iqbql Goodinabali and several others were present.