JOIN USTaking a serious view of the moral policing act in which activists of a Hindu outfit assaulted girls and boys at a private home-stay in Mangalore, the BJP Government today rushed a top police official to probe the incident, which has triggered protests.
As the attack in which about a dozen girls and boys were targeted by a 50-member group, suspected to be members of 'Hindu Jagaran Vedike', came as an embarrassment with opposition parties flaying it, the government has asked ADGP (Law and Order) Bipin Gopalkrishna to visit Mangalore to get first hand information about the incident.
The activists yesterday raided the home-stay at Padieelu, about five km from Mangalore, alleging that a rave party was being held there and assaulted girls and boys, injuring them.
Police sources said Gopalkrishna will visit the home-stay where the incident took place. Twenty persons were taken into custody yesterday in connection with the incident which sparked off protests by various groups both in support of and against the outfit, forcing police to use mild lathicharge to disperse the agitators.
This is the second incident of moral policing in Mangalore after the January 24, 2009 attack on a pub by right wing organisation Srirama Sene. The incident caused embarrassment to the BJP Government as opposition party leaders targeted it for its 'failure' to check pro-Hindu activists and their moral policing.
In Mangalore, activists of Hindu Jagarana Vedike were taken into custody when they staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner's office condemning the arrests of the outfit's members.
The protestors justified the attack on the girls and boys at the homestay, saying it was to "protect culture".
They also condemned the police for not taking action against the boys and girls who were involved in partying.
As a precautionary measure, ban orders and section 144 of CrPC have been clamped in the city, prohibiting groups of people from gathering in public places, police said.
Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh told reporters that the home-stay was being operated without licence and further investigation was on.