PFI calls for statewide protest today

Condemning the alleged police atrocity on its activists in the city on Tuesday, the Popular front of India (PFI) has planned a statewide protest on Wednesday.

Anwar Sadaq, PFI state committee member, said on Tuesday, the activists will stage a protest outside the office of every deputy commissioner. It will be a prelude to ‘Mangaluru Chalo’, a massive protest rally against the hounding of activists belonging to minority communities.

Sadaq also accused Mangaluru city police of practising double standards, as the suspects in the murder of Nasir came out on bail within a short span of time. In contrast, activists belonging to minority are incarcerated for no reason.

“The police atrocity on protesting PFI activists has been brought to the notice of Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara. The minister has promised to initiate action,” he added.

No permission

Haneef Khan Kodaje, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) district unit president, alleged that it has become a precedent among the police to deny permission to activists from minority communities. As per criterion, the police are orally intimated in case of any demonstration sans sound systems. It is only in the case of using sound systems a set procedure has to be followed to obtain permission.

“Likewise, the PFI activists who tried to lay siege to the police commissioner’s office had orally intimated the police. However, the police seems to be well prepared only to unleash their anger on the activists,” Haneef said.

Rubbishing Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar’s claim that the police personnel were forced to cane the agitators as the protesters resorted to violence, Haneef said none of the agitators took on the police. He also offered to produce video and news clippings to prove his claim.

‘Conspiracy’

He also suspected a political conspiracy, with neither the district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai nor Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader coming to their rescue, as the duo did not attend to his frequent calls. The atrocity on minority communities is increasing especially after Congress government came to power in the state.

Referring to a case where eight Muslim youths were picked up by city crime branch (CCB) personnel for interrogation on March 21, Haneef said, “One among them Ahmed Qureshi suffered damage to his kidney and has been admitted at the ICU of the district Wenlock Hospital. Most of the people who came to see Qureshi had decided to meet the police commissioner, which ended up in an encounter with the police.”

Haneef demanded the police commissioner to suspend CCB Inspector Sunil Nayak, SI Sham Sunder and other police personnel, besides initiating an enquiry against them for torturing innocent youths in the case.