Sene hoisted Pak flag at Sindhagi: Ashoka

Home Minister R Ashoka, who confirmed that the Pakistan flag was indeed hoisted by Sri Rama Sene activists at Sindhagi in Bijapur on January 1, however, indicated that the government had no intention of banning the outfit.

Addressing reporters in Bangalore on Monday, Ashoka said there was enough evidence to show that the Sene activists were behind the flag-hoisting episode, and that stringent action would be taken against them.

The minister said six persons had been arrested so far. Asked about the demand for banning the outfit, Ashoka said he would consult Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and take appropriate action against the Sene. He said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had nothing to do with the incident.

Giving his department credit for “effectively managing law and order” in the State, Ashoka said instances of communal clashes in Karnataka had reduced drastically ever since the BJP government came to power three and a half years ago. “As many as 28 to 30 cases of communal clashes used to be  recorded every year before the BJP took charge. Now, such instances of clashes have come down to seven to eight a year. In the next one and a half years, the number will be reduced to zero,” he said.

The minister said the decision taken by his department to drop 24 cases registered against Christians during the church attacks in 2008 had been duly acknowledged and appreciated by the Christian community. Ashoka said commando training units on the lines of the one in Bangalore would be set up in the North Karnataka districts of Belgaum, Hubli and Gulbarga.

When asked about the status quo of the inquiry into the protest staged by advocates, which recently brought Bangalore City to a halt, he said the government was keen on resolving the issue at the earliest.