Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Nov 4: Sensing possibility of activists of certain religious organizations creating problem for the travel by a couple made up of members from different religions to Bengaluru, police personnel acted fast and ensured that the night bus in which they were travelling had a smooth passage without any interference.

WhatsApp messages which said that a boy and girl from different religions were travelling together in adjacent sleepers to Bengaluru in a private bus on Wednesday night had started to spread. The organizations affiliated to the religion to which the girl belongs, also had made an appeal to take urgent steps against this.

Some questions were raised about the veracity of the information made available through WhatsApp but police department came to know about this message. District superintendent of police and other officers went into action immediately and asked various police stations to deploy armed police contingents at strategic points on the road by which the bus was to move. For this, even police personnel who were asleep were woken up and deployed on duty. Although people belonging to certain organizations tried to intercept the bus at certain points like Mani, Uppinangady, Gundia etc and search for the couple, armed policemen kept them away from the bus. The district police provided escort to the said bus till Sakleshpur, after which the bus reached Bengaluru without any problem.

Thereafter, WhatsApp messages accusing the police of supporting Love Jihad began making the rounds. Some commented that the journey was undertaken by the couple as per the freedom of choice they enjoyed. Some said the police had easier choices to ensure the couple's safe journey rather than rushing police personnel to various spots at a considerable expense. They thought that the police could have sent the two in separate buses, change their plans and send them by another night bus, etc. Some police personnel too expressed resentment at this unnecessary trouble and wasteful exercise.

In general, it gave a feeling that the couple which was at the centre of all this activity was oblivious to what was happening around because of them.