Karnataka: Stop targeting minorities, say Muslim Congress leaders

Mangaluru: A meeting of Muslim leaders of the Congress, organised by the state vice president of its minority cell, Ashraf K, on Wednesday came down hard on the police lathicharge of a PFI protest in Mangaluru and demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged torture of a Muslim activist, Qureshi in police custody.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Ashraf said it was sad that Muslim youth were being targeted in the state. “We have to unite and take up this issue seriously.  Atrocities on innocent Muslims must stop,” he said.

Later, a resolution passed at the meeting demanded compensation for the youth and suspension of the police officials, who allegedly assaulted him. It also called for booking them for the offence and  transfer of the Mangaluru police commissioner.

In -charge president of the district Congress, Kodichal Ibrahim said the organisation concerned should have brought the alleged police harassment to the notice of the government.

“If they did not get justice , then they should have protested. The Congress always respects the Constitution and the law,” he added.  

Meanwhile, PFI district president, Athavulla, claimed that  police atrocities on minorities continued in the region despite the Congress being in power in the state as the bureaucracy was still under the influence of saffron outfits.

Speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, he said Congress leaders had condemned the continuing police atrocities on minorities in Mangaluru at Wednesday’s meeting. 

Congress tries to undo damage
The Congress, which would have made the police lathicharge of the  PFI rally a political issue had it happened under BJP rule and accused  it of being “anti minority,” is in a fix now that it has happened under its government.

With just a year left for the assembly election, Congress leaders are trying their best to undo the damage and reassure the minorities of its continuing support, while keeping a distance from the SDPI, the political wing of the PFI, which has succeeded in uniting the  Muslim votes in Dakshina Kannada and denting its votebank.

“Congress leaders failed to take up the issue of a Muslim youth, Qureshi being tortured by the police and now the police lathicharge on a PFI rally held to protest it will definitely distance the minorities from the Congress and help the SDPI in the next election. The meeting of the Congress minority cell to condemn the lathicharge and the assault on Qureshi was a corrective measure,” said a senior Congress leader.     

Congress minority cell state vice president Ashraf K, who organised the meeting, said that whenever the police harassed a Muslim it claimed the victim was a PFI-SDPI activist, stopping Congress leaders from going  to their help. “ And when the Congress does not help the minorities, they turn towards the SDPI-PFI. So we are gradually losing our base.  But Muslims need to unite against  police tyranny and that’s why we held the meeting in Mangaluru today,” he explained.