Mangaluru: Popular Front of India staged a protest in front of the DC office here on January 23.
Addressing the protesters president of the central Jumma Masjid Uppinangady Mustafa Kempi said that the DK district is known as intellectuals city. But from some years the situation has changed, there are atrocities on women, moral policing, communal violence and attack on minorities which have brought bad name to the district. Recalling the incident which took place on January 16, at Puttur he said that the VHP had organized Hindu Hradaya Sangama programme and delivered inciting speeches which lead to clashes between two groups. Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, Arun Kumar Puthila and Praveen Togadia always deliver inciting speeches and hurt the sentiments of Minorities. While returning from the programme the members of Hindu organizations pelted stones on the Mosques and attacked the Imam. While the Imam was being taken to the hospital on the ambulance, Hindu outfits stopped the ambulance and attacked the Imam with deadly weapons. At Karaya women and children were attacked by a group. Such people should be punished, he said.
Former mayor Ashraf speaking on the occasion said that, Muslims who were arrested in the Ulaibettu case and still are in Bellary jail should be released. The culprits have been freed and the innocent are punished. He further questioned the Muslim leaders of the Congress party, when the Mosque was attacked where were they, and why did they not question the attackers? He also said that the Karaya attackers will be punished by the Allah.
Addressing the protesters State SDPI leader Elyas Mohammed Thumbay said that if the members of the VHP were peace lovers, they would not have pelted stones at the Mosque. In regard to the inciting speeches during the Hindu conventions, the district administration is not taking any action against those who violate the law. The Hindu conventions have created fear in the minds of the people. While delivering speeches Prabhakar Bhat is asking the people to carry knives. If they carry knives in their hands we will do the same. He also said that the police also are not ready to file cases against the people who deliver inciting speeches.
Vice-president of Muslim Central Committee Hamid Kandak, Iqbal Nandarabettu, Nawaz Ullal, District president of all India Imam’s Council Jaffer Sadiq Faizi and Hyder Neersal were also present. A memorandum was also submitted to the Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim.