Mangalore: Newspaper accuses Palemar supporters of vandalism, complaint filed

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Apr 30: Managing director of Chitra Publications (P) Ltd which publishes ‘Karavali Ale’ daily, has complained to Suratkal police station on Monday April 29, alleging that supporters of former state minister, Krishna Palemar, had burnt down bundles of the said daily at Krishnapura 9th block on Sunday, and near Suratkal bus stand on Monday morning.

The complaint dated April 29 claims that area corporator of BJP, Tilakraj, had led the gang which torched the bundles at Krishnapura, and that this had been orally communicated to the policemen. It also has said that supporters of Palemar also snatched away newspaper bundles as soon as the car loaded with ‘Karavali Ale’ reached Suratkal bus stand on Monday morning, and torched them.

While remarking that snatching of newspaper copies and burning them down is the usual trait of Sangh Parivar members, the complaint expressed anguish at the negligence shown towards its earlier complaint to the police commissioner about the destructive activities of people loyal to Hindu Jagran Vedike.

“As we apprehended on the basis of the incident on Sunday that our vehicles carrying newspaper would not be safe, we had called up Suratkal police inspector, Nataraj, at 8 am, and sought protection to the car while unloading newspaper bundles in Suratkal. But when our vehicle came to the bus stand, no police personnel were present. This encouraged the miscreants to destroy newspaper copies,” the complaint signed by Rohini S said.
 
She also claimed that the miscreants in both cases had challenged the newspaper on the issue of publishing anti-Palemar reports, besides posing threat to vandalize the newspaper office and home of the newspaper owners in Kulai.

“On the basis of civil and criminal cases filed by Palemar against our newspaper in Mangalore and Bangalore, we infer that he nurses enmity against the publication and its promoters. We feel that a couple of reports relating to election published by us have enraged him, as a result of which he would have abetted these activities through his followers. It is said that Palemar had held discussions with likeminded people in his party before taking law into his hands,” it added.

The complaint has sought initiation of legal action against those who got involved with destructive activities, and those who inspired the elements to engage in the said act. It also seeks police intervention to ensure that Palemar, Sangh Parivar, and others do not create bottlenecks for the operation of the newspaper.