Hindu activists do not feel safe in Karnataka: Mysore MP Prathap Simha

Mysore, Mar 15: The incident in Mysore where a VHP activist was killed led to widespread protests. Mysore continues to remain tense and the police are contemplating extending prohibitory orders in the wake of an intelligence report suggesting that there could be communal clashes.

Several Hindu activists are outraged over the lackluster approach of the government of Karnataka and accuse the Chief Minister of not doing enough to protect the majority community.

They say in recent times three activists of Hindu groups- Prashanth Poojary, Kuttappa and Raju have been murdered. Prathap Simha, the member of parliament from the Mysore constituency says that Hindu activists no longer feel safe in Karnataka under the rule of Siddaramaiah.

Hindus not safe in Karnataka:

Simha who was present in Mysore yesterday tells OneIndia that the culprits should be brought to book. We have demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh but assured only Rs 5 lakh. We have managed to raise an additional Rs 10 lakh from the party and also another person who came forward to help out the family of the deceased.

I feel that Hindu activists are not safe in Karnataka. Many in the police department too have expressed their frustration as they are being told to probe certain cases in a particular manner. I have seen the politics of appeasement with my own eyes. In some places, the authorities are scared to collect water and power bills from the minority community.

Yesterday I was present all along till the cremation was completed. On the way back there was provocation as some youth pelted stones at the activists. These people provoke and the government chooses to remain silent. The problem is that after Siddaramaiah came to power, he withdrew cases against organizations such as the SDPI and PFI.

This has given them the confidence to do what they like. Under such circumstances how do you expect the Hindu activists to feel safe, Simha questions.

Negating everything and influencing investigations:

Have you noticed how quickly the Chief Minister jumps to conclusions? When Kuttappa was killed during the Tipu Jayanthi protests, he was quick to say that he slipped as a result of which he died. His cabinet colleagues too follow the same. After the death of farmers who committed suicide, one minister said that farmers were lazy. In the D K Ravi case, the then home minister quickly said it was suicide.

These are statements being made much before the investigations have even begun. What message does it send to the police who have not even commenced the probe? They will have not guts to probe the real reason and normally tend to tow the line of the CM and the statement that he has made. This according to me is a deliberate attempt to pressurize the police and ensure that the real reasons are not probed into, Simha contends.

Why was Raju killed?

Simha explains that Raju was trying to re-open a temple which had been closed for nearly 21 years. There were some objections in his area and the temple had remained closed. He had only recently made efforts to ensure that prayers commenced at the temple. This had not gone down too well with many.

Another issue was regarding the construction of a Mosque at Kyathamaranahalli in Mysore. He had contended that the construction had come up on a residential land. He had even petitioned the corporation several times. This led to anger against him and became the reason for his death.

OneIndia News