Four newly elected MLAs, including two cabinet ministers representing Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts came up with promises of taking a tough stand against communal forces and to take steps to maintain peace and harmony in the coastal districts.

They were speaking at an interaction programme with the newly elected representatives and the general public organised by Karnataka Komu Sowharda Vedike at St Aloysius College hall in the city on Sunday. In the programme organised to thank the voters for defeating communal BJP in the State Assembly elections and draw the attention of the newly elected representatives towards communal issues plaguing the district, people posed several questions at the people’s representatives, while Vedike placed forth a list of demands before the government.

Addressing the gathering, Forest and DK District-in-Charge Minister Ramanath Rai assured that he would place a demand before the home minister to henceforth make the inspectors of particular police stations where moral policing incidents take place, directly responsible for such incidents. It will bring in more accountability in the police department and would also help to stop the occurrence of such incidents.

Taking a dig at RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, Rai warned Bhat to face the music if he continues to divide society by disturbing communal sentiments. “I live just 10 kms away from the place of Prabhakar Bhat and my fight against him has continued for long. There is an industry producing ‘lies’ in Kalladka and  in fact, I too am a victim of it. The situation will be more dangerous if the members of majority community become fundamentalists,” he said. The Minister refused to answer to a query on whether he would demand the government to re-open the case against Kalladka Bhat for his hatred speech.

To a query on transfering Assistant Commissioner of Police T R Jagannath who is facing an allegation of harassing ASI Srikala, Rai said the ACP was sent on leave for the second time, based on his insistence.

Strengthen intelligence

Urban Development and Udupi District-in-Charge Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake stressed on the need to sharpen the intelligence force so as to enable them to predict the communal incidents that are likely to occur, well in advance. The percentage of people who spoil the communal harmony perhaps stands at 0.1 and there is a need to take tough action against them, he stated.

Flaying those who oppose the cattle slaughter, Puttur MLA Shakunthala Shetty ridiculed at them saying, “let those who stop vehicles transporting cattle for slaughter, take one cow each to their houses and rear them. Are they ready for it? Their love for cattle can only be in words and not in action.” Mangalore South MLA J R Lobo too assured of joining in the agenda of maintaining peace and communal harmony in his constituency.

Forum’s demands

On behalf of Komu Sowharda Vedike, Forum General Secretary K L Ashok placed forth a list of demands before the elected representatives. Some of the demands include cleansing the saffronised bureaucracy, departments and universities, put an end to communal incidents, moral policing in coastal districts, withdraw false cases against members belonging to minority communities, withdraw saffronised text books from primary education and form new committees to introduce new text books, provide justice in Bababudangiri case, re-open the cases against Hindu fundamentalists like Prabhakar Bhat etc.

AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes, progressive thinkers A K Subbaiah, Gowri Lankesh and others were present.