K'taka Police to issue externment order against 3 Bajrang Dal activists stirs controversy

Bengaluru, July 22 (IANS) The Karnataka Police's decision to issue an order of externment against three Bajrang Dal activists in Dakshina Kannada district for their alleged involvement in moral policing incidents in Mangaluru city and the surrounding areas has stirred a massive controversy in the state.

Former Minister and BJP MLA, V. Sunil Kumar, said on Friday that the ruling Congress government on the pretext of controlling communal violence is taking vindictive and vengeful action against Hindus and Hindu organisations.  

"We have received information that Balachandra Attavara, Ganesh Attavara and Jayaprashanth Shaktinagar have got externment notices by the police department. This is the height of politics of hatred," he added.

"There was peace in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district (which included Udupi district) all these days. As soon as the Congress came to power, it spread hatred between religions. The establishment of a separate wing to control communal violence in the coastal region is to sideline Hindu organisations," the BJP MLA said.

 "We will initiate legal action against this," he added.

The Police Commissioner has not given an answer on why notices of externment have been issued to these three Bajrang Dal activists. 

"We thought Speaker U.T. Khader is dancing to the tunes of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. But, they are using the police department as the tool to polarise votes to their party," he alleged.

Kumar added: "We (BJP) have seen how terror elements belonging to the PFI were involved in brutal killings of Hindu activists with the support of Siddaramaiah. At present, the government again led by Siddaramaiah is all set to repeat the horror." 

"We will condemn this move of the Congress government and plan the agitation," he said.  

Police sources said that the three Bajrang Dal activists have already been served with notices asking why they should not be banished in the backdrop of their illegal activities and creating disturbance in the society. The names and other details in this connection are yet to be announced, the sources added. 

The activists have been asked to visit the office of DCP,  Law and Order division, in Mangaluru on Friday. 

Police sources said that the three Bajrang Dal activists would be given deportation orders to maintain law and order in the society and also to send a message over the incidents of moral policing.

The police said that the Bajrang Dal activists will be banished for a period of one year. 

The local police had given a report in this regard on the activists in connection with their involvement in incidents of creating ruckus at the Sulthan Gold Jewellery stores and also their interference during the celebration of Holi at Muroli.

A boy belonging to the minority community was assaulted by a group at the Sulthan Gold Jewellery stores by a group of persons on December 6, 2022, for allegedly being in relationship with a girl who worked at the jewellery store. 

The complaint and counter complaints were lodged regarding the incident. The victim was a colleague of the girl and her parents suspected that their daughter was trapped into a romantic relationship by the boy. Four Bajrang Dal activists were arrested in connection with the incident.

The members of Bajrang Dal had barged into the Holi event, 'Rang De Barsa', organised at Muroli in March, 2023, and vandalised the premises. Young girls and boys were enjoying the party, spraying colours on one another when the attack took place 

The activists claimed that the boys exhibited indecent behaviour. They objected that Holi was celebrated by boys belonging to another religion. The police had arrested six persons in this connection.