Mangaluru, Sep 8: Soon after news broke about police filing an FIR against BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, activists of Kurnadu Shakti Kendra staged a protest at Mudipu junction here on the night of Friday September 8, demanding the withdrawal of the case within 24 hours.
Addressing the protest, president of Kurnadu Shakti Kendra Naveen Padalpady who is also a taluk panchayat member said, “The case filed against MP Nalin Kumar Kateel should be withdrawn within 24 hours, if not, we will launch a strong protest.
“The situation in the state is worse than emergency. People are spending sleepless nights. Bihar-like situation has come to exist in Karnataka too. The state government is not even allowing an appeal to be submitted to the deputy commissioner.
“District in-charge minister Ramanath Rai and food minister U T Khader should immediately resign for filing a case against a member of the Parliament who just spoke in favour of his party workers,” Padalpady demanded, adding, “If the case is not withdrawn, we will stage a strong protest tomorrow (Saturday September 9) evening.”
Kurnadu Shakti Kendra general secretary Lohith V Gatty said, “The state government itself disrupted peace by banning the ‘Mangaluru Chalo’ rally which was going on peacefully. Nalin Kumar Kateel questioned Kadri inspector Maruthi Nayak for rounding up women party workers who had come from outside the district and forcibly locking them up in a hall where children were having lunch. Slapping of case against an MP for questioning such harassment indicates the kind of policy followed by the state government.”
Businessman Jagadish Alva said, “During elections, some of the SDPI and Bajrang Dal activists become Congress workers. When Sajipa Muda zilla panchayat member was elected, Bajrang Dal activists themselves hoisted the Congress flag. The Congress government uses such people to commit murders of innocents and create communal disharmony. Jaleel Karopady’s murder was also committed by people within the Congress. The fact that district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai has never spoken about Karopady’s murder in public is testifies this.”
BJP Minority Morcha general secretary Mohammed Asgar Mudipu, Premananda Nettilapadavu of Raita Morcha Mangaluru, Yuva Morcha vice-president Naveen Shetty Kodakkal and many others were present.
