Mangaluru: Leaders of the BJP and VHP have expressed unhappiness over the police booking cases against saffron outfit leaders in connection with the stone pelting incident at BC Road that took place during the cremation procession of RSS worker Sharath on Saturday.
Four cases have been filed in connection with the stone pelting and clash at BC Road. Those named in the case include five saffron outfit leaders- Bajrang Dal state convener Sharan Pumpwell, BJP Yuva Morcha district president Harish Poonja and Backward Classes Morcha state secretary Sathyajith Surathkal besides Hindu Hitharakshana Samithi’s Muralikrishna and another saffron leader Pradeep Pumpwell.
A police team is said to have visited the house of Sathyajith Surathkal on Sunday night but had to return empty handed after he was not found there. However BJP leaders claim that the saffron leaders who have been named were not involved in stone pelting but were in reality in charge of the peaceful conduct of the procession.
BJP MLC Ganesh Karnik too denied the role of the five saffron leaders in the incident. He said that the leaders named in the case were not at the spot when the stone pelting took place. “The cases have been booked on the direction of district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai,” BJP district president Sanjeeva Mathandoor said.
Meanwhile district incharge minister B Ramanath Rai said that the incidents taking place in the district were pre-planned and there were people who plotted unrest in the region. He said that he has asked the government to have a proper investigation.
Rai said that a district level peace committee meeting would be held on July 13. Mr U.T. Khader said that the government would provide compensation to the family members of Ashraf and Sharath who were murdered. He condemned the BJP leaders for politicising the issue.
