Justin D’Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)
Karkala, Jul 10: The alleged brutality let loose on Congress worker from here, Radhakrishna Hirgana, by the police inspector here, is acquiring new twists and turns with the passage of time. Reactions in favour and against the incident have been reaching a situation of crescendo.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, had tweeted on Friday afternoon condemning the assault. "Overlooking his ill health, based on a fake old case, the police tortured him," he had alleged. Immediately after this tweet, discussions both in favour and against, have been breaking loose continuously. Both the BJP and Congress workers are engaged in firing salvos at each other though social websites.
Siddaramaiah (left) and V Sunil Kumar
Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar, retaliating to the tweet by Siddaramaiah, stated that there is no need to get lessons from Siddaramaiah on what transpires treason. He had worked with people who frequently issued anti-national statements, Kumar commented. He also added comments which meant that Siddaramaiah had supported KG Halli riots, Mangaluru clashes, murder of Hindu workers etc.
After Friday afternoon, the frenzy got further escalated. Congress workers, who seemed to be buoyed by the tweet of Siddaramaiah, began #suspendkarkalapsimadhu campaign though Twitter and Facebook. The lack of leadership for the Congress in Karkala block was exposed to some extent in this incident. Except for some Karkala youth Congress leaders and a handful of Congressmen from Karkala, no Congressmen who can be considered as eminent leaders of Karkala block condemned the incident openly. Udupi district Congress president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, and Congress leaders Vinay Kumar Sorake, Pramod Madhwaraj and other young leaders began to issue statements condemning the alleged atrocity through tweets and social websites. By Friday evening, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar, condemned the incident and urged Karnataka director general of police to investigate the incident and take strong action.
On Friday evening, Dakshina Kannada district Congress leaders held protest in front of the office of the superintendent of police at Mangaluru.
The BJP leaders, angered by Siddaramaiah's tweet, began to share posts in social websites which meant that those who support traitors too are traitors. BJP workers appreciated the police action, and began twitter campaign with hashtag, #WeStandWithKarkalaPolice. C T Ravi issued a statement which said that Siddaramaiah has accepted a man who speaks ill about the valiant soldiers of the country and gives a call to the Pakistani soldiers to slain them, as a Congress worker.
General secretary of BJP backward classes Morcha, Yashpal Suvana, in a press release, expressed readiness to protest in favour of the police. The workers further shared the screenshots said to have been taken from the account of Radhakrishna Nayak Hirgana, which vitiated the atmosphere further. Karkala bock Congress president Sadashiva Devadiga and others, who held a press conference in Karkala, demanded the immediate suspension of the town station police inspector.
As the issue gained lot of attention in the social websites, Udupli superintendent of police, N Vishnuvardhan, asked Kundapur deputy superintendent of police to immediately hold inquiry into the incident and submit report in two days. At the same time, a case was registered in the town police station by police inspector Madhu, under section 353 for obstructing police from discharging their duties.
There have been rumours that Radhakrishna, admitted into a private hospital at Manipal, has suffered major injuries due to the attack by the police. Karkala Congress leaders are preparing to hold a mega protest against the police atrocity on Saturday.
The incident is inviting views and reactions both for and against. The political nature of the incident has virtually given rise to comments and enthusiastic reactions from both the sides. Both the sides seem to be in a hysteric mindset and ready to fight each other on the issue.