Mangaluru: PFI activists protest against "Police brutality" in Uppinangady
Mangaluru: Protesting the lathi-charge by police at Uppinangady on Tuesday, the District Committee of Popular Front of India (PFI) organized a protest in Mangaluru on Friday.
Although the City Police Commissioner had denied permission for the ‘Walk to SP’s Office’ or the rally, the PFI activists went ahead with their event and walked from Hampankatte to the Clock Tower, it is learned.
Reportedly, the protesters were stopped by the police near the clock Tower. PFI leaders then appealed for them to be allowed to walk to the SP’s office and also stated that the Uppinangady police had indulged in police brutality and protested through sit-in demonstrations demanding justice concerning the issue.
District SP Rishikesh Sonawane arrived at the protest site and received the petition from the protesters. The SP then addressed the gathering assuring that investigations and appropriate action would be undertaken in the case. The Mangaluru Police Commissioner Shashikumar also arrived at the site and took cognizance of their appeal.
SDPI Leader Shafi Bellare addressed the gathering and said, “This is a people’s movement against the Uppinangady police who displayed their cruelty. If innocents are subjected to oppression, such struggles too will continue. Police themselves make claims that the batons/ lathis of police do not have any religion or creed. However, the several incidents that have occurred in the district indicate that the batons/lathis of the district police have a religion, creed, and political affiliation”, he said.
Questioning the police, he asked, “Why haven’t the police taken any action against the Sangh Parivar’s leaders who insulted the SI by threatening to beat him and disregarded the District Commissioner? Why have you been silent when Trishul/Tridents were being distributed openly?” he emphasized.
Shafi Bellare also demanded that a sitting judge must investigate to determine how many police personnel within the district police force possess a Sanghi mindset.
“The police must withdraw the false cases registered by them. The guilty police personnel must be suspended, and the government must compensate the injured in the hospitals by taking over their medical expense”, the PFI listed their demands before the government.
PFI Leaders A. K. Ashraf, Ijaz Ahmed, Ayyub Agnadi, Corporator Muneeb Bengre, SDPI National Leader Alphonso Franko, and SDPI District President Abubakker Kulai led the protest.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
