‘Let not right wing disturb tranquillity of Sr’Patna’

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: In the wake of rightwing Hindu organisations trying to create controversy over Jamia Masjid in the fort town of Srirangapatna in Mandya district, members of Samana Manaskara Vedike have demanded stern action against those activities, “for disturbing peace and harmony of the town”.

They met the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police, Mandya district, and submitted a memorandum advocating stern action against miscreants trying to disturb the cordial atmosphere in the town. They wanted the district administration and home department to take steps to prevent such untoward incidents in the future.

Since the Jamia Masjid issue is pending in court, it is not correct on the part of anybody to take law into their hands or trying to gatecrash into the place of worship. They pointed out that Srirangapatna is an international tourist spot and thousands of tourists from across the world visit this place to see places of worship of different religions in the same place.

Now, Hindu fundamentalists are trying to disturb the peace and tranquillity in the name of “mandir and masjid”. The secular image of the district must not get robbed, and the Sangh parivar members must be dealt with an iron hand, so that they do not indulge in such activities, they said. Members of the delegation include Prof Hulkere Mahadev, Bhumigowda, Prof BS Chandrashekaran, Manjeshgowda, Kirangur Pandr, Mohammed Tahir, Ganjam Ravi, Cheeranahalli Laxman among others.

During Sankirtan Yatra held in Srirangapatna recently, a youth in a saffron robe climbed atop a house, removed a religious flag from there and put a saffron one. The video has had gone viral in social media and people are demanding action against those trying to disturb law and order in the district.

ADGP (Law & Order) Alok Kumar directed the Mandya district police to take stern action against the guilty. Two days after the incident, the local police identified the youth who had hoisted the saffron flag atop the house and released him after a stern warning.

This sparked a row, and a group of people attached to the Hindu Jagaran Vedike tried to enter the masjid to protest against the arrest and release of the youth. Luckily, police deployed at the place aborted the bid. The agitators demanded action against the police for what they claim was “illegal confinement of youth”.

Later, following instructions from the Home department, the Srirangapatna police filed a first information report (FIR) against eight cops attached to the same police station. Agitators have threatened to “rebuild” a Hanuman temple at the place where Tipu Sultan allegedly demolished a temple to construct a mosque