DHNS
Udupi, Mar 22: Home Minister V S Acharya on Saturday claimed that the stone-throwing from a mosque sparked the recent trouble in Kaup.
“The first stone was thrown during the Kaup incident from the mosque and after that communal trouble started,” Acharya told reporters after inaugurating the 174th branch of Saraswath Bank. He defended the act of Hindu activists, who had retaliated while returning from the Hindu Samajotsava on March 15.
“Every year Samajotsava is held. Our people have been victimised and all the arguments on the issue are ridiculous. The entire matter is misconstrued and the participants have been projected as criminals,” he opined.
He ruled out a judicial inquiry into the incident. “I attended the Samajotsava as a member of the society and not as the home minister. I express sympathy on the entire episode and I am obviously convinced about the happenings,” he said.
He was not worried about the Congress demand for appointment of election observers in both Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. He had spoken to Chief Electoral Officer Vidyashankar on the issue and alleged violation of code of conduct. The report on the issue would be forwarded to Delhi and Vidyashankar was in touch with the DGP and the Chief Secretary in this regard, he added.
Dr Acharya accused that both Congress and JD(S) were blowing the Kaup incident out of proportion as they were worried about the BJP wave in the State.