Former mayor accuses Bajrang Dal activists of attacking Muslim man

The officer did not disclose the identity of the youth and said he and the two girls were not willing to file a complaint so no action has been taken in connection with the case.

A group of 7-8 Bajrang Dal activists allegedly assaulted a Muslim youth who was out with two Hindu girls in Mangaluru on Saturday night and tried to get him arrested, police said on Monday.

Former Mangaluru mayor and the president of the Dakshina Kannada Muslim forum, K Ashraf, condemned the incident. (Representative Photo)

A senior police familiar with the matter said that the youth was allegedly attacked around 11:30 pm on Saturday when he and the two girls were looking for a place to have dinner in the Urwa police station limits. According to the officer, who did not want to be named, the group of Bajrang Dal activists accosted the youth and assaulted him before trying to hand him over to the police.

The officer did not disclose the identity of the youth and said he and the two girls were not willing to file a complaint so no action has been taken in connection with the case.

Former Mangaluru mayor and the president of the Dakshina Kannada Muslim forum, K Ashraf, condemned the incident and said that in such cases, victims are scared to lodge a complaint against the right-wing group. “If they try to seek police action, the right-wing groups threaten them,” he said.

Hitting out at the Bajrang Dal, he said that such moral policing incidents were on the rise in Dakshina Kannada district as elections in the state are approaching.

“Bajrang Dal is behind all the moral policing incidents in Dakshina Kannada. When elections are around the corner, such organisations do this. This incident took place on the same night the chief minister was in the city. This is not an isolated incident. Five to six cases of moral policing have been reported in the district recently,” Ashraf said.

Last week, the police had arrested four persons in connection with another case of moral policing in Mangaluru on December 6. According to police, Bajrang Dal members had created a ruckus at a jewellery showroom in the city alleging that a Muslim staff member was friendly with a Hindu woman working in the showroom. Police commissioner N Shashi Kumar had said that three cases were filed with the Mangaluru East police station on the complaints by the male staff on assault and rioting.

Speaking on Monday, Ashraf urged the authorities to take strict action against such outfits and make sure similar incidents do not occur in the future.

“It’s not just moral policing. These right-wing organisations are harassing Muslims during fairs, and not letting them carry out business in a peaceful way. They are threatening Muslim businesses everywhere and are trying to trigger communal issues. We will not let this happen,” Ashraf said.

Speaking of the December 6 incident, he said: “In another incident at a jewellery store, four people were arrested. But what is the use in arresting them? Such incidents should not happen in the first place. Be it anyone, Muslims or Hindus, if they have done something wrong, appropriate legal action should be taken against them. But the police are here to do that. Why should the right-wing groups assume the role of police?”

In another case of moral policing, five people in the Sullia region of Dakshina Kannada district attacked a Muslim couple who were going for a movie on December 7. Based on a complaint, the police had registered a case of assault against the five people.

Last month, a group of men assaulted a Muslim youth who was travelling with a Hindu woman in Mangaluru. The couple were travelling in a bus from Karkala, when 3-4 unknown men stopped the bus, dragged the Muslim youth out of the vehicle and thrashed him.

Three persons who have links with right-wing groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were later arrested by the police in connection with the incident.

Last week, reacting to the recent instances of moral policing and hate messages being shared on social media, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra appealed to people not to take law into their hands which in turn would result in unrest and provocation. The home minister said that people should extend their cooperation in maintaining law and order in the state.

“There is a better law and order situation in the state, except for a few cases reported in Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga. The police have been doing their best to maintain law and order in the state,” Jnanendra added.