DHNS 

Mangalore, Oct 19: Forces which called for bundh in Mangalore recently that snowballed into communal violence were directed by District-in-Charge Minister B Nagaraja Shetty and were instigated by State BJP Chief and MP Sadananda Gowda, alleged Ullal Forum of Gram Panchayat Presidents and members affiliated to the Congress.

Briefing a press meet in the City on Wednesday, member of the Forum and President of Manjanadi Gram Panchayat Moidden Kunhi demanded for a judicial probe into the Dakshina Kannada communal violence and police atrocities on innocents during the same.

Recollecting the Akshatha murder case where some organisations had called for Puttur bundh, he said that Mr Nagaraja Shetty and Mr Sadananda Gowda intervened in the matter and tried to pressurise the organisations to withdraw the bundh.

But the same initiative on their part was absent when some shadow outfits of BJP called for Mangalore bundh.

Also in order to conceal their failure to manage the situation, BJP leaders are trying to victimise Congress leader U T Khader in the issue, he alleged.

Referring to BJP leaders’ demand for a judicial probe over the incident where five persons died due to explosion while transporting crackers in Alangar near Puttur, he said that impact of communal violence in Dakshina Kannada was more severe compared to this incident where two persons were murdered, hundreds were injured, false cases have been filed by police against thousands of innocent youths and loss of property is estimated to be around Rs 200 crore.

Hesitation on part of BJP leaders for judicial probe into the matter leads to several suspicions, he stated.

President of Harekala GP Mahabala Hegde, Ida Lobo of Munur Gram Panchayat, Khader of Talapadi GP, Leelavathi Poojary of Konaje Gram Panchayat were present in the press meet.