Karnataka - Udupi   

Yeddyurappa faces flak for not ordering judicial probe

Udupi: President of the State unit of the Mahila Congress Rani Satish has criticised Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for not ordering a judicial probe into the attacks on Christian prayer halls in the State.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Ms. Satish said there appeared to be a pattern in the attacks. The Government had failed to protect the people in the affected districts of Davangere, Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

“The attacks on prayer halls in different districts all within the span of a fortnight have raised several questions,” she said.

Ms. Satish said that a team from the Mahila Congress visited the affected areas in Mangalore city. It visited prayer halls, jails and hospitals and had spoken to the victims of the violence.

“The people have suffered at the hands of the miscreants and the police. Even nuns had to bear the brunt of violence. They were chased and attacked,” she alleged.

Ms. Satish said that of the 86 people arrested in Mangalore, 44 had been sent to a prison in Madikeri. She said that a majority of those arrested were Christians and there were many innocent persons among them. “Even people visiting hospitals have been arrested. They should be released immediately. If this is not done, it could further complicate matters,” she said.

She said that it was being said that the genesis of the attacks on prayer halls was in some literature (allegedly showing Hindu gods in poor light) which were allegedly distributed. If that was so, action should be taken against the persons who were printing and distributing such material. There was no point in resorting to violence on that pretext. The team from Mahila Congress had not come across any case of forcible conversion, Ms. Satish claimed.

General secretary of State unit of Mahila Congress Shyamala Bhandary; president of the Udupi district unit of Mahila Congress Veronica Carnelio; general secretary Jayasri Krishnaraj; and former presidents of Udupi Zilla Panchayat Sarasu Bangera and U. Vanajakshiwere present.

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