Ashraf Salettur incident: Bunder station ASI suspended
Mangaluru, November 6: City Police Commissioner TR Suresh suspended Bunder police station ASI Chandrashekar in related to assaulting Ashraf Salettur accusing him of posting insulting article in Facebook.
Against a Facebook post of some people that ‘Kerala was flooded as the Supreme Court has allowed woman in her menstruation period to enter Sabarimala temple’, Ashraf had asked ‘who is responsible for floods in Tulu Nadu, the creation of Parashurama?’ This has attracted comments favouring his stand and opposing him. Based on this, Bunder police station police have booked suo moto case against Ashraf under Section 153 and 505(2) and produced him before the court on August 22. The court has remanded him to judicial custody. After one week in jail, he came out on bail. Even after his release, he was questioning the injustice he meted out from the police. But the police served him a notice on September 4 saying that you have criticized the same issue in Facebook during the bail period and asked him to appear before the investigating officer. Otherwise, the police would file a petition before the court for cancellation of bail, it was said in the notice.
Considering this issue seriously, DYFI organization appealed the City Police Commissioner and the District Minister. Following the internal enquiry, the Commissioner has suspended the ASI.
DYFI district president BK Imtiyaz said that ‘the police department has tried to cover-up the case. As the court has allowed Ashraf to appoint his advocate, the police department has suspended the ASI. But it has not taken any action against DCP crime branch and CCB police for torturing Ashraf behind the bars, which is condemnable. The investigation method of the police officers has reduced the confidence on the department, he said.
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Have no personal involvement in Cong’s action against some minority leaders: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said he has no personal involvement in action taken against certain Congress leaders from the minority community following allegations of an internal conspiracy during the recently held Davanagere South bypolls.
He clarified that the decisions were taken by the party high command based on available reports.
Asserting that party discipline is of utmost importance, Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, sought to downplay concerns that action against minority leaders may send a message that "Muslims are being targeted."
"I don’t have any personal involvement in this. Whatever decisions are taken are made by the party leadership. The party has its own reports. Decisions regarding MLAs or MLCs cannot be taken at the state level without instructions from Delhi," he said.
Speaking to reporters, he added, "People may blame me; I am not concerned. Everyone must function in accordance with party discipline."
Responding to concerns within sections of the party that recent actions may convey the impression that minority leaders are being targeted, he said the Congress exists for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, backward classes, farmers and all sections of society.
The Congress has suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from primary membership and relieved another MLC, Naseer Ahmed, from the post of CM’s political secretary.
The action followed allegations by a group of Muslim leaders that certain party members conspired to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action, speculation has emerged that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face disciplinary measures during the next cabinet reshuffle.
The three leaders had reportedly sought a Muslim candidate for the Davanagere South bypoll ticket, which the party instead allotted to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun. They were also said to have not actively participated in campaigning.
Shivakumar also rejected claims of factionalism within the ruling party amid speculation that leaders close to CM Siddaramaiah were being targeted.
Naseer Ahmed and Zameer Ahmed Khan are considered close to the chief minister.
Rejecting allegations of factions within the party, Shivakumar said, "We speak to each other every day. It is the media that creates divisions. Where is my faction? Has anyone put up a board saying they belong to the Siddaramaiah faction? Have I put up any such board?"
"All 139 legislators are my people, and they are all Siddaramaiah’s people as well. Everyone belongs to the Congress," he added, saying there are no factions within the party and such claims are media-driven.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi met Shivakumar on Friday, a day after expressing concerns that disciplinary action against minority leaders may send the wrong message.
Shivakumar said he discussed with Jarkiholi the need to decongest Bengaluru traffic by diverting vehicles entering the city from state and national highways, along with party-related issues.
"We also discussed political matters in the interest of the party and the need to work together," he said.
