Objecting to the controversial “Kanaka Nade” or “purification drive” that was organized by members of Yuva Brigade in Udupi a week ago, members of Aam Aadmi Party in Karnataka have sent a letter to chief minister Siddaramaiah demanding action against its organizers.
In the letter to the chief minister, AAP said that the walk was organized to instigate and insult Dalits, who had conducted the ‘Chalo Udupi’ program earlier this month.
“Such acts make a complete mockery of Article 17 of the Constitution that forbids untouchability in any form. As the Chief Minister of the state you are obliged to protect the Constitution… We are writing to demand an immediate investigation in this matter and serve the organizers with necessary punishment...,” the letter said.
The purification drive was led by senior RSS leader Chakravarthi Sulibele and Yuva Brigade members.
The campaign became controversial after the organisers implied that they would clean roads of Udupi polluted by ‘Chalo Udupi’ campaign by Dalit groups on October 9. Chakravarti Sulibele had projected it as an "alternative" and "counter" to the Chalo Udupi march.
Infuriating Dalit activists and defying a police ban, members of 'Yuva Brigade' conducted 'Kanaka Nade', a cleanliness campaign, on the premises of the Pejawar Krishna Math in Udupi
The Yuva Brigade’s programme was inaugurated by 86-year-old seer of the Pejawar mutt, Vishwesha Tirtha Swami, who was part of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. Members of the brigade cleaned the math’s goshala, rajangana and parking area.
The campaign was proposed to be held at few places inside Udupi town, but with police declining permission, it was restricted to the math’s premises.
However, the seer defended the campaign saying, “This cleanliness campaign had been decided many months ago. This was a voluntary initiative of the Kanaka Nade workers and I had not directed them to do it.”
Superintendent of police KT Balakrishna said that the police can book cases against the organizers of “Kanaka Nade” if it had been conducted on public or government property.
“We were told that the campaign took place despite the ban. Before taking any action, we have to check if they had conducted it in public areas. The Kanaka Nade organizers had asked for the permission on certain roads, which the district authorities denied. We also learnt that the Tahsildar was present at Krishna Mutt while this happened,” he said.