Mangalore: Gurpur chaos - District Congress gives evasive answers to media
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Jan 13: A day after the Congress protest at Gurpur that saw party workers fight among themselves, the district Congress said that the protest was organized with the aim of restoring communal harmony in the district.
Addressing a press meet here on Monday January 13, interim district Congress president Ibrahim Kodijal said, "The protest was organized to restore communal harmony in the district. But during the protest a few Congress party workers demanded arrest of Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for his inflammatory speech against Muslims," he said.
Though the press meet was called to announce Congress programmes in various across the district ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Kodijal began with speaking on the protest.
"Why did Prabhkar Bhat remain silent when Cyanide Mohan raped and murdered 20 girls, and when former ministers Halappa and Renukacharaya were booked in rape charges? The district Congress severely condemns the inflammatory speech against Muslims and Christians," he added.
However, when media persons asked him a barrage of questions on the protest, he gave evasive answers. The media persons asked questions like why the protest was organized and against whom, was it against their own government for failing to arrest Kalladka Bhat, and why no Congress leader had filed complaint against K P Bhat.
Visibly baffled by the questions, Kodijal said, "After the incident (Hindu convention at Gurpur) we met the police commissioner, and even spoke to the chief minister and the home minster to take action against Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat. The home minister assured that he would take suitable action in the matter."
The answer did not satisfy the reporters who pressed him further by asking if failure to arrest Dr K P Bhat was a failure of the Congress government. Rubbishing the charge, Kodijal said, "There are loopholes in our system. Law is different from administration. The government is maintaining the law and order. The court has ordered police to file FIR against the person who filed complaint against Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat. The government is acting according to the law. Moreover, I have not seen or heard the speech made by K P Bhat."
Public programmes
Kodijal said that Dakshina Kannada district Congress committee will hold public programmes in various places to educate the people
about the various development works and pro-people programmes undertaken by the union and state governments.
The programmes are scheduled as follows:
January 20 - Puttur (10:30 am), Mangalore (3 pm)
January 21 - Moodbidri (10:30 am) and Bantwal (3 pm)
January 22 - Sullia (3 pm)
Janaury 26 - Mangalore South (10:30 am)
January 27 - Beltangady (10:30 am)