BJP insists on judicial probe into Mangalore violence

Mangalore, Oct 17 (UNI) The BJP in Karnataka today urged the JD(S)-BJP coalition Government in the State to order a judicial inquiry into all aspects of the recent communal violence in Dakshina Kannada district and the allegation of the Congress and local JD(S) leaders against his party leader and district incharge Minister B Nagaraj Shetty to bring out the truth.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP State President D V Sadananda Gowda maintained that the party had full confidence in the performance of the Corps of Detectives (CoD), to which the State Government had entrusted the investigation. Though the Government had ordered for CoD inquiry, still doubts remained in the minds of the people about the allegations made against Mr Shetty.

He had already spoken to the Home Minister M P Prakash in this regard and he would also speak to the Chief Minister soon, he added.

Mr Gowda asserted that if Mr Shetty was found guilty in a judicial probe, the party would not hesitate in taking proper action against him. ''I am not insisting on a judicial probe, succumbing to pressure from the Congress leaders. But I am insisting to reveal the real facts and bring out Mr Shetty from the shadow cast on him.'' He said the party had also decided not to go to the media from tomorrow on these issues with the intention of bringing to an end the prolonged allegations and counter allegations. Investigations should also be made into the recent explosion and stone pelting incident at Bantwal and explosion of crackers at Buderia in Puttur taluk, in which five people were killed on Sunday last.

Mr Gowda said he had enough proof about the involvement of Mr U T Khader, son of Ullal MLA U T Farid, in the recent violence in Ullal and had a copy of the FIR against Mr Khader, which would be produced before the inquiry commission.

To a query on the Chamundeshwari by-elections, he said the party had the brightest chance of winning the Assembly seat than its coalition partner JD(S). Both the coalition partners, BJP and JD(S), have so far agreed for a ''friendly contest'' in recent elections and the party would present its views in the coming coordination committee meeting, he added.

Referring to the delay in commissioning Mangalore-Hassan railway line, he said he would take a delegation, comprising party MPs, MLAs and MLCs from undivided Dakshina Kannada, to meet Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and urge him to send an official team to the district soon to expedite the work.

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