MANGALURU: Hindu chauvinist organisations have given call for a dawn to dusk Gurupur firka bandh on December 8 to protest the Friday night assault on youths from Hindu community, who were on their way to Datta Mala Abhiyan in Chikkamagaluru. Firka consists of Bajpe, Kateel, Yekkaru, Yedapadavu, Kuppepadavu, Neerumarga, Vamanjoor, and Kaikamba. All activities in these villages are expected to hit from 6am to 6pm on the bandh day.
Jithendra Kottari, working president of Vishwa Hindu Parishat told reporters here on Sunday that a protest rally will be taken out from Gurupur-Parari junction at 9am and a protest meeting held on the premises of Vishwanath Temple later. Demanding that such attacks on members of Hindu community must stop forthwith, he said state government must provide compensation to those injured in the attacks and arrest the perpetrators.
Stating that all essential services such as milk, medicine, water and power supply have been kept outside the purview of the bandh, Kottari said the Hindu community cannot remain mute spectators to attacks on their members. Lauding the prompt action taken by Mangaluru City Police in apprehending those involved in the attacks, he said the state government must allow the police to discharge their duties in a free and impartial manner in such cases.
City police chief R Hithendra told TOI that 10 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police has been placed at his command and they have been stationed at various vantage points in across the firka. “In addition, a big contingent of police officers headed by two deputy commissioners of police too will be on bandobast duty,” he said. No further arrests have been made in connection with the incident on Sunday, and arrests will be made later, he added.