Dakshina Kannada crackdown: Keep politics out

Deccan Herald

19 hours ago

Two back-to-back murders in Dakshina Kannada, each laced with communal undertones, have finally jolted the government to action. Police officers are now cracking down on lumpen elements across communities – a much-needed move to restore order. The government has rightly overhauled the police top brass in Dakshina Kannada and neighbouring Udupi, signalling a firm resolve to address the escalating communal tensions. But even as law enforcement begins to act decisively, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje has chosen a troubling path. She has written to Justice N K Sudhindra Rao, chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, alleging police harassment of 'innocent' Hindu activists. A copy of the letter has also been marked to the National Human Rights Commission..KPCC fact finding committee on DK murders to submit interim report next week.Karandlaje's complaint is both misplaced and misleading. As a constitutional authority, she should stand by the law, not those who flout it. The police have been doing their duty in a district teetering on the edge. Her letter, devoid of specifics, amounts to a blatant interference in the enforcement of law and order. The claim that GPS tracking is being used to target Hindutva activists holds no water – modern technology tools are legitimate instruments to track criminal suspects irrespective of their religious identity. Who exactly are these 'innocent' people she wants to shield? Many are known offenders. For instance, Suhas Shetty whose recent murder sparked outrage was a rowdy sheeter with two murder charges against him, all booked when BJP was in power. Karandlaje's portrayal of police action as one-sided is factually incorrect. The list of anti-social elements who the police propose to extern from the district includes those from both Hindu and Muslim communities. Such interference from a union minister not only undermines the police action to restore peace but also sends dangerous signals that political patronage can shield anti-social elements from the due process of law. The Prime Minister should take serious note of this..Union Minister seeks PCA, NHRC intervention over 'targeting' of Hindutva groups in Dakshina Kannada.The police must be allowed to continue their operations unhindered. They should act even against those occupying top positions if they engage in hate speech or incite violence. Politicians who poison the minds of the youth and use them as pawns for narrow electoral gains, while their children study abroad, should be held accountable. The state government must back the police not just with moral support, but with robust legal resources that ensure that these criminals don't get a reprieve from the court. The coastal districts need healing and that will happen only when politicians stop stoking fires, and allow the law to take its course.