Widespread anguish over Pilikula vigilante attack : Cops arrest 3
Mangaluru: The Sangh Parivar activists literally resorted to Goondaism at the Manasa Water Park at Pilikula Nisargadhama on the outskirts of the city on January 2, Tuesday by intercepting students of a college who were enjoying a picnic and even assaulted one of the girls right in the presence of the police.
Though video clipping of the same went viral in the social media, the Kavoor police who had reportedly remained apathetic in the beginning registered a case only after an advocate intervened. Later the cops arrested Sampath Shetty, Varada and Dinesh of Moodushedde in connection with the incident.
The incident : Two boys, both II PUC students of a college at Aikala Thalippady near Kinnigoli along with two female students had hired a car on Tuesday and had arrived at Pilikula Nisargadhama. The Parivar activists who gathered information that the students were making merry at the Manasa Water Park, barged into the place and attempted to assault the students. The Kavoor Police who arrived at the spot made arrangements to take the students out of the Park.
Assaulted : As the students were being escorted outside, Sampath Shetty, a prominent local activist of Hindu Jagarana Vedike hit one of the girls on her neck right in the presence of the police who however at that moment made no attempt to take him to custody. Someone who recorded the incident had circulated it in the social media. It was only after it went viral and caused uproar that the cops registered a case.
Victim's mother files complaint : As per the complaint lodged by Melcy Serrao, the mother of the assault victim, police have arrested HJV activists Sampath Shetty, Varad and Dinesh and have registered cases against them under Section 341, 342, 324, 506, 509, 355, 153(a) and 74(1) of the IPC. Police said the prime accused Sampath Shetty already has a few cases against him in Kavoor Police Station.
Action on basis of video clipping : DCP Hanumantharaya told "Vartha Bharathi" that action would be taken against the perpetrators of the incident based on the video footage.
Widespread anguish : The goondaism and vigilante attack by the Parivar activists has led to widespread anguish with many venting out their ire against the district administration as well as the Police Department for their failure to rein in the unscrupulous elements.
"This is a joint operation"
"This is a joint operation of the Sangh Parivar and the Police Department. The Police Department in the district has completely bowed before the Sangh Parivar. The viral video of Tuesday is testimony to this. Instead of taking into custody those who tried to come in the way of the students who were at Pilikula, it is condemnable on the part of the police for allowing assault on the student right in their presence. Such an incident would not have taken place had the Sangh Parivar activists had any fear of the Police Department or law. A similar incident took place at Subrahmanya recently. Everyone is well aware as to why such incident taken place during election time. Such incidents would not have recurred if the district administration and Police Department acted tough. The authorities must take this incident seriously. There should also be an investigation into the Police failure during the incident."
Vidya Dinker, social activist
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"Those resorting to goondaism must be reined in"
"The Police Department has completely bowed before the Sangh Parivar in the district. Their taking this incident lightly despite assault on the girls right in their presence is proof to this. The government, elected representatives and the social organisations must extend their moral support to the Police Department to ensure that action follows against those resorting to goondaism. The incident is condemnable."
Dinesh Hegde Uleppady, advocate and social activist
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No nation can progress unless small traders are protected: Arvind Kejriwal
Chandigarh (PTI): No nation can progress unless small shopkeepers and traders are protected and given ease of doing business, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday.
Kejriwal made the remarks while addressing the maiden meeting of the Punjab State Traders Commission in Mohali, where he was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The former Delhi chief minister said that through the commission, local markets will be upgraded, and long-pending small issues of shopkeepers will be resolved.
He said the purpose of the commission is to make the tax system simpler, more transparent, and trader-friendly.
"Till now, in our country, traders and businessmen have been viewed with a very negative mindset. No matter which government or which party ruled, everyone treated traders as thieves," Kejriwal said.
"I pray that one day our government is formed at the Centre and we free you from GST. There is a kind of tax terrorism going on," he said.
Kejriwal termed the traders also a victim of politicians, who, he said, only remember them during elections and then, once in power, to extort money till the next election.
"I come from a trading family. I understand the pain and suffering of a trader. You may remember how, as children, we used to go to the village during summer holidays. My uncle there had a grocery shop at the bus stand. During summer vacations, many times I would manage the entire shop alone for days. I understand the pain of a shopkeeper," he said.
The AAP leader said the governments always talk about big investments everywhere. "But no one ever paid attention to the small shopkeeper running a grocery store, a clothing shop, a bread shop, a tile shop, or shops in small markets."
Attacking the rival parties in Punjab, he said that after their run was over, neither the Akali Dal nor the Congress would have dared to go among the public and seek honest feedback.
"After four years, they would face such abuse that I do not think the Congress government would have had the courage to pass around a microphone in a public gathering and say, speak whatever you want … If it had happened during the Akali Dal government, the microphone would not have returned," he said.
