Bengaluru: With police intelligence reports suggesting a sharp polarisation of votes in the Coast and Malnad owing to the rising communal tension in the region, the government has given the top police brass a strong warning to stop the killings that have been making headlines of late.
But it too has been warned by police intelligence to restrain Forest Minister Ramanath Rai from making provocative statements that could hurt Hindu sentiments in the area.
Going by police sources, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to speak to Mr Rai about his tendency to go all out to protect minorities, as this could further fuel polarization in the coast and nearby areas.
Home Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, for his part, is believed to have expressed his displeasure at the rising communal incidents in the state to DG and IGP, Neelamani Raju and IGP, Hemanth Nimbalkar, asserting that the government would not tolerate them.
The government reportedly plans to issue a detailed statement on the political killings in coastal Karnataka.
As against the claim of the BJP that over 21 Hindu activists were killed, it says 19 were murdered and of them only eight were related to religious differences.
The rest were due to personal problems over property, extra marital affairs and so on. Besides, six Muslims too were killed in communal incidents in this period, it adds.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Mr Reddy said the investigation into the murders of Paresh Mestha in Honnavar and Deepak Rao in Suratkal was underway and the government would not spare those responsible.
Reacting sharply to BJP MP, Shobha Karandlaje’s statement that he had psychiatric problems, Mr Reddy asserted that he was mentally sound.
“It is the BJP people, who have some kind of mental disorder as they link every murder to religion. If they need any treatment, NIMHANS is in my constituency and I can make arrangements for their stay there,” he said.
Taking a dig at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath for his comment, asking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop cow slaughter in the state, the Minister retorted, “Instead of asking us to stop cattle slaughter, let him ask Prime Minister Modi to stop killing of all animals. Then we will accept this challenge.”
