Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)
Mangaluru, Aug 25: The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Tuesday August 25 staged a protest in front of the DC's office here against right-wing outfits for stripping and thrashing a man at Attavar. The protestors slammed the local Congress MLAs and demanded the arrest of Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell.
Shabbir (name changed) was on Monday August 24 stripped and assaulted after being tied to an electricy pole at Attavar by right-wing activists for being in the company of a female colleague belonging to another community. The girl in a press meet on Tuesday alleged that the mob had 'rescued' her and that Shabbir had 'harassed' her.
Addressing the protest, DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla said, "We had protested in 2009 during pub attack and ensure that the then government felt the heat. The present MLAs like Ramanath Rai and Mohiuddin Bava who were then in the opposition got votes because they promised to curb moral policing forces but today we are all alone. The Congress government has failed to curb immoral rowdyism. Men and women from minority communities are still becoming victims of immoral rowdyism.
"Let there be debates on whether men and women from different communities can talk to each other or not, but who gives them the right to take law into their hands? Cases of moral policing have risen sharply since 2008 from 65 then to over 150 in 2015. Even after Congress assumed power there is no change," he added.
"The distance between the police commissioner's office to Attavar (where the incident took place) is just two kilometers and there are a number of police stations around. It would have taken minimum one hour to strip the man's clothes and tie him to a pole, but only five minutes for the police to reach the spot. Were the police sleeping or just careless?" he questioned.
"Now the girl has changed the story and filed an FIR against the man, accusing him of blackmailing and claiming that the people around her rescued her and that there was no involvement of Bajrang Dal. If Bajrang Dal is not involved, how did she convene the press meet at Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell's office? Don't try to fool the intelligent citizens of the district," he said.
"The police took action only after the pictures of the incident went viral in the social media, or else there would have been no case filed, and instead they would have been served hot tea in police stations. We have seen several videos of the incident and it is found that the girl was covering her face, and the so-called protectors of culture were also abusing the girl. Why was she looking helpless?
"Now they have threatened the girl's family and made her file a false complaint against him. Who is behind all this? Police should arrest Sharan Pumpwell immediately," he demanded.
We will not stop with this protest alone, we will continue our fight till the victim gets justice, and till immoral rowydism stops," Muneer Katipalla asserted.
"Bajrang Dal is active only when men and women from different communities talk to each other or there is cattle trafficking, but when the recent Malekudiya incident occured (where Sunder Malekudiya's fingers were severed allegedly by his landlord), they did not raise a voice. Bajrang Dal is born with the intention of indulging in immoral rowydism and not to raise voice against the injustice in society. We request the government to stop moral policing soon. Today you (Congress) have lost BBMP election, but next time you will lose the state, so beware, wake up now, or people will teach you a lesson," he warned.
"The earlier police commissioners curbed illegal activities in the city, but after police commissioner Murugan took charge there has been a rise in the number of such activities. Now there is a situation where police are scared of goons. If there is no fear of the police commissioner, then he should be transferred and able officers like we had in the past should be appointed. Many MLAs visited the hospital to meet the victim, but only for photo opportunity and for vote bank politics. They are not the people to fight for justice. We demand that Sharan Pumpwell be immediately arrested and the truth behind the incident brought to light," he said.
Santhosh Kumar Bajal and others DYFI leaders were present.