Congress Urges Governor to Dismiss BJP Regime over Church Attacks
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Feb 3: Turning the heat on B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP regime over the Church attacks in Karnataka in 2008 and subsequently, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has urged Governor H R Bhardwaj to dismiss the Government for its alleged failures to protect the minorities and their places of worship from Sangh Parivar outfits.
The state Congress leaders, who staged a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue under the leadership of KPCC president R V Deshpande, working president D K Shivakumar and others, later marched towards Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to the Governor pressing for Yeddyurppa regime’s dismissal for its failure to discharge its Constitutional responsibilities and obligations.
The state Congress leaders urged the Governor to direct the state government to ban the communal outfits like RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sene and seize their properties.
Referring to the findings of the Justice B K Somashekar Commission, which probed into the Church attacks in different parts of the State in 2008, the state Congress leaders said the interim report of the judicial inquiry had clearly indicted the Sangh Parivar outfits like RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sene.
"The ruling party had failed to discharge its constitutional duties and obligations as per provisions of law in the interest of democracy and justice,’’ the memorandum said.
Quoting the key findings and recommendations of the Somashekar Commission’s 500-page interim report submitted to the Government in Mangalore on Monday, the Congress leaders said the alleged involvement/connivance of the police and district administration in the attacks on churches and minorities was a ``direct indictment’’ of the Government.
Deshpande recalled that the chief minister had blamed the opposition for the Church attaks and had even said that the attacks were engineered to topple his government.
Senior Congress leader Kagodu Thimmappa and KPCC Spokesperson V S Ugrappa alleged that the authorities had failed to take preventive measures in most places, especially Mangalore.
They said that the police resorted to excessive measures such as lathi charge and firing on people, who were protesting against the attacks. The Commission, they said, had indicted the district administration, the zilla panchayats and local police.
Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge also joined his party leaders in demanding a ban on the Sangh parivar.
Referring to Yeddyurappa`s call for chopping off the hands of those, who indulged in attacks on places of worship including churches, Kharge doubted whether the latter had become a dictator.
There was anarchy and the Chief Minister had lost control over administration and started using such a language and lost moral right to be in power, Kharge said.
Another group led by Bangalore City Youth Congress Committee President S Manohar also staged a dharna near Basaveswara statue. The protest demonstration and procession at two places by the Congress affected the vehicular traffic on Sheshadri Road, Race Course Road and Basaveswara Circle in the morning, leading to huge pile-up of vehicles along the busy roads.
Both the Chief Minister and the Home Minister Dr V S Acharya as well as the state BJP have contended that they would wait for the final report of the commission, expected in March, for taking action rather than acting on the interim report. ``We will, however, study the interim report and the recommendations,’’ the chief minister had said.
With both houses of the state legislature scheduled to meet towards the month-end for the budget session, the Somashekar commission as also the recent attacks against Churches in Mysore, Karwar and Mangalore are expected to figure prominently.