Peace meeting: uninvited Muslim central committee feels ignored

Even as the district administration has decided to take out a rally for harmony in tension-hit Dakshina Kannada, a dissenting voice has emerged with The Muslim Central Committee, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts taking potshots at the district administration for not taking them into confidence.

Addressing media persons here on Monday, former MLC and committee president K S Mohammed Masood took umbrage at the district administration for not inviting the committee for the held peace committee meeting at deputy commissioner’s office recently.

Masood, who once headed State Minorities Commission, also released letters written to both Chief Secretary to the government and also Deputy Commissioner, seeking their explanation in this regard, to the media.

Masood who stopped short of calling it (ignoring the committee for the meeting) as an insult in his five decade-long political career, said the peace committee is indeed split into several pieces, and it will be no balm in bringing peace in the district that has been under prohibitory orders for over 50 days.

The authorities have invited leaders according to their whims and  fancy, he charged. When the media persons chose to correct Masood that the meeting was restricted for elected representatives and prominent leaders, while the representatives of various associations and organisations will be invited in the second phase of meeting, Masood called another meeting as unwarranted, when much damage has been already done.

Minister flayed
Without taking the name of the district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, Masood said, “The minister, who wants our support during elections, also ignored us for the meeting. I have played a key role in shaping the political careers of prominent leaders like Oscar Fernandes, a Rajya Sabha member and M Veerappa Moily, now Chikkaballapur MP.”

Masood, a Congress leader for over 55 years, also lauded the efforts made by the then Chief Minister B S Yedyyurappa to ensure communal harmony in the district. The luncheon meetings were held at the residences of both community leaders involving the committee and also then minister B Nagaraj Shetty and MLA N Yogish Bhat, he added.

DG&IGP too
Masood, who was also peeved at DG&IGP Rupak Kumar Dutta, for not meeting them during his recent visit to the city, said, “Transfer of police officials is no solution, as one officer will be replaced by another.

“The need of the hour is restoring peace and measures to be taken in this regard, when Kalladka (the epicentre of communal tension in the recent days) has been hogging limelight for wrong reasons in recent days.”