Several leaders of the Congress’ Minority Cell in Dakshina Kannada district resigned from their posts in the party on Thursday, May 29, amid rising frustration against the recent communal violence. The leaders are reportedly upset over the Congress-led government’s failure to curb the violence, which has recently taken the life of Abdul Rahiman.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary MS Mohammed and Minority Cell Dakshina Kannada district president Shahul Hameed, and other leaders, such as Abdul Rauf and MD Mohammed, resigned during a chaotic meeting during which several leaders expressed anger over the recent communal violence. Mehmood’s announcement of his resignation on the stage was met with loud cheers. Several other local-level leaders, such as panchayat members and councillors, have also resigned.
The coastal city has seen three murders in the past month, starting with the lynching of a Muslim man named Ashraf, a migrant worker from Kerala living with mental illness. Days later, a rowdy-sheeter named Suhas Shetty was killed. Within days, at least three Muslim men were attacked in separate incidents and had to be hospitalised for treatment. On May 27, Abdul Rahiman was murdered.
A Congress leader who attended the meeting and declined to be named said that the mood at the meeting was defiant.
“Until now, it was us chasing the ministers with memoranda and seeking action. They would give us assurances but do nothing. This time, the sentiment was, ‘Let the high command come and meet us. Let us resign en masse’. If they want to build the party, let them come and meet us,” the Congress leader said.
He said that people were upset over the killing of innocent people, such as Mohammed Fazil and now Abdul Rahiman. “Innocent people should not have to die like this.”
Recently, a delegation from the Muslim Janapratinidhigala Okkoota – Muslims who were elected to the local bodies in Dakshina Kannada on a Congress ticket – met district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. They had demanded that the Congress government deal with communal polarisation and violence with a firm hand, threatening to resign en masse if no action was taken.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner transferred
On the night of May 29, the state government transferred the senior IPS officers of the two coastal districts along with several other police officers.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal was transferred as Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Economic Offences, CID, and replaced by Sudheer Kumar Reddy, who has been relieved of his charge as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Intelligence.
N Yathish was relieved of his charge as Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police and was replaced by Arun K, who was SP of Udupi district. Yathish has not been given a posting yet.
Hariram Shankar, who was SP Intelligence, has now been posted as SP of Udupi district.
