Mangaluru: The arrest of Bajrang Dal activist Shashikumar in connection with the illegal transport of cattle has raked up a new controversy in the region with saffron outfits claiming he is not their member and the cops asserting he used the Bajrang Dal tag to transport cows and not get trapped.
Two people- Shashikumar and Harris- were arrested by Dakshina Kannada police for illegally transporting four cows and a calf for the purpose of slaughter in a small Ashok Leyland vehicle near Kadambu in Vitla Pandnur village on Thursday night.
Police accused Shashikumar of being hand in glove with the illegal transporters. As he belonged to the Bajrang Dal, it would be easy for him to transport cattle without anybody suspecting him which might have encouraged him to get involved in the activity, they said. And if someone questioned him, he could always get away by claiming the cattle were meant for rearing.
Police officials said that Shashikumar was an active Bajrang Dal leader and was known to most people in the area. They revealed that even some activists within the saffron outfits wanted Shashikumar to be arrested and punished. In fact the police had stopped the vehicle and arrested the accused based on the information provided by some Bajrang Dal activists.
“Sangh Parivar activists who were working to protect cattle were unhappy with Shashikumar. He acted like a cow protector but in reality, he was involved in illegal cattle transport. So the activists wanted him to be caught red-handed. Finally in connection with the Vitla case he was arrested by the police," sources said.
Saffron outfit leaders have however denied reports that Shashikumar was their member. They feel such allegations are a desperate effort to divert attention from the illegal cattle transport movement started by Sangh Parivar outfits.
“He is not our activist. Our activists do not get involved in such activities. We have started a struggle against illegal cattle transport and slaughter in the past few days. This is a plot to bring a bad name to our activists and crush the movement,” VHP Mangaluru division secretary and former convener of Bajrang Dal, Sharan Pumpwell told Deccan Chronicle. "We will also question the police on the reason why they have made such a statement," he added.
Progressive thinkers say the incident has revealed the true colors of those who pose to be fighters for the cause of cow protection. "This has shown that the 'Gau Rakshan movement' is bogus. Cattle theft and illegal cattle transport are being given a communal colour for political reasons.. The man arrested (Shashikumar) was present during the protest organised against cow theft few months ago near Konaje. Now he has been arrested for illegal cattle transport. This has revealed their true colours," DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla said.
