Mangalore: Underworld active in coastal districts: Sadananda Gowda
Mangalore, Dec 26 (DHNS): Former chief minister and leader of opposition in the legislative council D V Sadananda Gowda has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister K J George to take a stock of the law and order situation in Coastal districts of Karnataka. The law and order situation has collapsed in the last six months.
Speaking after inaugurating birthday celebrations of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee here on Wednesday, he said that the Chief Minister and the Home Minister should visit the district to discuss the situation and also to get a first hand information on various incidents that have taken place in the recent months and take measures to check such incidents and punish the guilty.
Stating that law and order situation in the State has deteriorated, he said the CM and home minister should hold a review meeting to discuss on the incidents right from gang rape of a medical student in Manipal to murder of BJP leader in Ankola and kidnap and blackmailing of two students in Deralakatte.”
“The incidents have made us to bow our head in shame. These incidents also send a wrong message to the world. Underworld elements have become active in the coastal belt,” he said adding that the recent central intelligence warning that Maoists are active on the borders of South Indian states border is a cause for concern.
The former CM said: “If the government fails to protect its citizens, then a day will come when the citizens will be forced to use arms to defend themselves. The law and order has worsened owing to the internal squabble in the ruling Congress. Officials are not able to discharge their duties effectively. Anti-social elements have raised their ugly head in the coastal belt without a fear. There is a fearful situation in the Coastal district, wherein the security for female children is a concern.”
“The recent developments makes one feel that the Home department is not existing in the State. The fearful atmosphere reminds one of the days of barbaric incidents that Bihar had witnessed 15 to 20 years ago. The situation is so bad that anti-social elements have attacked the police officers who were on duty. Even the elected representatives are indirectly supporting them,” he said.
Gowda said that the move of the government to ban arecanut has put growers in distress. The Rs-175 crore package announced by the Union Minister for Agriculture has not reached the growers so far. The BJP government had constituted advocates to defend arecanut growers in the Supreme Court. However, the Congress government withdrew the panel of advocates. If the Congress government fails to appoint a panel of advocates before January 6, to fight for the cause of areca growers, then the BJP will intensify its protest in the State.
He said that Atal Behari Vajpayee followed principles in life and is a model for all the elected representatives.
Former MLA Jayaram Shetty, BJP district unit general secretary Sanjeev Matandoor and others were present.