Four arrested in Bantwal murder case, further action will follow: Home minister G Parameshwara
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said that four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 32-year-old muslim man in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district and further action will follow based on information gathered from them.
He said that the government has taken the killing very seriously and that it will not rest unless it suppresses such communal activities and murders.
The home minister also said that government order has been issued with regard to forming anti-communal force with immediate effect.
"Four people have been arrested after the murder, and based on their statements we have got some serious information, using which further investigation and action will follow," Parameshwara said.
Stating that the government has taken the incident in Dakshina Kannada district very seriously, he said, "we will take merciless action irrespective of whoever it is, because if such things keep happening every time, we cannot sit quietly with our eyes shut. We will make the law stricter without any mercy."
Speaking to reporters after meeting Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Dineh Gundu Rao here, the home minister said, the region consisting Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga and other places with communal activities will be considered as "sensitive", and merciless action will be taken against those involved in such activities.
"We will not rest unless we suppress such communal activities and murders ."
Stating that the atmosphere got spoiled there, he further said, "If one side carries out murder, the other retaliates, such things repeat. If there is such a feeling of hate, how can the society survive, can anyone lead life? The government will not sit quietly as a mute spectator, we will stop it."
The victim Abdul Rahiman and his 29 year-old co-worker Kalandar Shafi were unloading gravel when two motorcycle-borne youth made a murderous assault on them with a sword on Tuesday.
While Rahiman succumbed to his injuries, Shafi is undergoing treatment.
Rahiman's murder comes close on the heels of Suhas Shetty's killing on May 1 in the communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada district.
Parameshwara also said, a government order has been issued regarding formation of an anti-communal force that was announced earlier to deal with such incidents, with immediate effect.
"How to structure it, who will head it, what powers should be given --working out all those things took time, and we have finally issued an order. We planned to disband the anti-naxal force, half of that anti-naxal force has been converted into anti-communal force, all the necessary powers and amenities required will be provided to them," he said.
"They will begin in three districts--Shivamogga, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada-- with more focus," he added.
To a question whether attempts are on to instigate communal feelings in Dakshina Kannada, the Home Minister said, instructions have been given to also hold peace and community meetings, along with maintaining the law and order.
"Situation cannot be allowed to deteriorate in Dakshina Kannada like this, it is a district with good people, educated and intelligent people, it is a district with a lot of potential for development, so there is a need to focus more on the district. We have to put an end to such incidents there, with a hope that such things will end. We will put an end to it," he added.
Responding to a question, the Home Minister called for restraint among public representatives.
"If they instigate, how can things be stopped? As public representatives, we too should try to bring peace," he added.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
