Union Minister seeks PCA, NHRC intervention over ‘targeting’ of Hindutva groups in Dakshina Kannada

New Delhi: Alleging that police in Dakshina Kannada “targeting and harassing” individuals associated with Hindutva organisations, social workers and traders in Dakshin Kannada, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje on Tuesday sought the intervention of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

In a letter addressed to N K Sudhindra Rao, the Chairman of PCA, and a copy marked to the NHRC, the Minister said that a “pattern of intimidation” began shortly after the recent change in police leadership in Mangaluru and has been directed almost exclusively at members of the Hindu community.

“Many of those being harassed have no criminal background or history of unlawful activity. The selective nature of these actions raises serious concerns about the misuse of the police force as a tool of political vendetta, which is entirely unacceptable in a democratic society governed by the rule of law, " she said.

“Such actions, if allowed to continue unchecked, risk undermining the credibility of law enforcement and disturbing communal harmony in the region.”

Requesting authority' s urgent intervention to stop unlawful actions, the Minister said, " Impartial inquiry must be conducted into the conduct of the police officers involved, and those found guilty of violating constitutional norms and citizens’ rights should be held accountable. It is imperative that the Police Complaints Authority upholds its duty to ensure that policing in Karnataka remains fair, just and within the framework of law.”

The use of State machinery to intimidate and harass citizens not only breaches their constitutional protection but also violates the spirit of the Supreme Court’s guidelines on police conduct, she said.