Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Apr 9: Bantwal MLA and Dakshina Kannada district Congress Committee president, B Ramanath Rai, accused Bajrang Dal of trying to vitiate communal atmosphere in the district by levelling false accusations on Christian organizations that are sheltering poor children. He was addressing a press conference organized at the party office here on Friday April 8.

“Leader of the opposition in the city corporation council, Lancelot Pinto, has been running Youth Service Charitable Trust since the last 11 years, without discriminating between children from different religions. He has been helping them to get education. Bajrang Dal, has made malicious allegations against this genuine organization, for getting political mileage,” he charged.

He said that Bajrang Dal activists had illegally entered the compound of the above organization and vandalized the place. He questioned the motive behind the demand of MLC, Capt Ganesh Karnik, in demanding the arrest of Lancelot Pinto, at midnight. “The department officials are duty bound to check whether an organization is being run properly or not. In what way Srikar Prahu, Capt Ganesh Karnik, or Bajrang Dal activists are concerned with this issue?” he questioned angrily. He noted that none of the parents of the children have complained about child trafficking in this case. He accused the deputy director of the women and child welfare department of having functioned arbitrarily in this case. Rai said that they have filed case about illegal entry into the premises to the police commissioner, and against errant officials concerned, to the deputy commissioner. He said that if no action is taken within four days as promised, the party will be organizing protests.

MLA, U T Khader, alleged that Child Welfare Committee president, Asha Nayak, has been functioning like a Bajrang Dal agent. “As soon as she took over charge as the president of the committee, she should have visited all the places where children are being cared for, and created awareness among the concerned about juvenile justice act. How far is she right in conducting raids at the behest of some unconcerned persons?” he wanted to know. He demanded the immediate resignation of Asha Nayak from the post.

MLAs, Abhayachandra Jain, former MLA, Vijayakumar Shetty, Congress leader, T K Sudhir, former mayors, Shashidhar Hegde and Ashraf, Arun Coelho, Navin D’Souza and Vinaya Raj were present.