Union Minister faults State for M'lore violence

Mangalore, Oct 9: Union Minister of State for Home Prakash Jaiswal today charged the Karnataka Government with having totally failed to contain communal clashes that claimed two lives and left over 90 people injured in Dakshina Kannada district last week.

Addressing a press conference before visiting the affected areas here, he said the prolonged violence in the district even after imposition of prohibitory orders and curfew for over three days showed the failure of the Government in controlling the situation and bringing back normalcy in the distrubed areas.

Mr Jaiswal said that after visiting the affected in ''permitted disturbed areas and hospitals'' later today, he would submit a detailed assessment report to the Centre. The assessment would also cover the State Home Minister's remark on SIMI's role in the violence. During his interaction with district authorities, local leaders and people's representatives today, he was informed that there was shortage of police staff when the communal violence started. The police could not contain the widespread violence that followed later, he alleged.

He demanded that the Government and the district administration take urgent steps to convene a peace meeting to restore peace. The district administration had not taken any initiative to convene such a meeting.

Asking the State Government to decide fast on providing adequate compensation to the deceased and affected families, the Minister urged it to take stern steps against fundamental forces which took law into its own hands so that such violence did not recur.

To a query, he said the Union Home Hinistry had not received any report from the Karnataka Governor on the incidents.

Leader of the Opposition N Dharam Singh criticised State Home Minister M P Prakash, who was in the city today, for not having the courtesy to meet the Union Minister and discuss the situation with him. ''Where is the Government...the Government has totally failed in containing communal clashes in the State,'' he added.

UNI

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