Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 14: An attempt to set a shop owned by a BJP activist at Thokkottu on fire was made late night on Saturday. The incident came to light on Sunday November 13.

Nikhil Book Centre, owned by Jeevan Thokkottu, secretary of Mangalore constituency BJP Yuva Morcha, was targeted by miscreants. Unknown miscreants poured kerosene at the base of the shutter and set the same on fire. As the fire did not spread into the shop, not much damage was done.

In a similar incident, miscreants had started fire at Agni Boys Circle (ABC) at Tokkottu Olapete, which was run by a Hindu outfit. Because of the timely intervention of a watchman, the fire could be doused before it could spread. The spate of recent incidents point out to a plan to disturb communal harmony in the area. In the backdrop of these incidents, some guess that the fire at Bhagawati Hardware on Friday night also could have been started by the same group.

MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, visited Bhagawati Hardware and Nikhil Book Stall on Sunday. He was accompanied by Chandrahas Ulla, BJP president of the local constituency. Kateel assured to direct the officials to hold high level inquiry into the incident.

In the meanwhile, local MLA, U T Khader, condemned the incident and urged the police commissioner, Seemant Kumar Singh, to find out the culprits concerned, and arrest them. He also demanded infusion of additional personnel to Ullal police station, which he said is facing shortage of people, and to deploy special squad in Ullal area to stop recurrence of such incidents.