Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 12: A condolence meet for Deepak Rao and Basheer, targets of the recent communal violence, was held at Nehru Maidan on January 12 by various Muslim organizations of Dakshina Kannada.

PFI general secretary Yasir Hasan said that innocent Hindus and Muslims are being targeted by the BJP and Sangh Parivar, who are 'using them as pawns in their politics'.

"The Sangh Parivar plays the divide and rule policy and for every murder the Muslims are blamed, even though they are the masterminds behind these deaths.

"They are playing politics over the dead," he said, and blamed the people’s representatives of the region for being mum about the issues during the state assemblies.

"The Muslims need backing as they have suffered violence in the hands of BJP and Sangh Parivar for years, but have not uttered a word. The Muslims have remained a backward community and are being hunted," he said.

Muslim Leader Hameed Khadak who inaugurated the condolence meet condemned the brutal murder of Basheer and Deepak Rao. "Assailants hacked Deepak in broad daylight and Sangh Parivar killed an innocent Muslim later as revenge," he said.

"Many Hindu organizations staged protests after Deepak’s murder and tried to create communal unrest. The accused who were involved in the killing of Deepak belong to the BJP minority cell," he blamed.

"There are kingpins who are operating behind the murders and the communal unrest. Former Chief Minister in his statement said that the BJP corporator was involved in the murder of Deepak but the state government has maintained silence.

"There is a need for the police and the government to track the masterminds who want to turn the peaceful district into a war zone," he asserted.

Advocate Dinesh Ullepady also addressed the gathering.