Pramod Muthalik, Founder of Sri Rama Sene.
Pramod Muthalik, Founder of Sri Rama Sene, said on Sunday that the Sene would launch a ‘Bengaluru to Bhatkal Chalo’ rally in the last week of April to highlight the “terrorist activities” at Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district.
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Muthalik said that Bhatkal had witnessed communal violence from April to December 1993, resulting in the death of 17 persons. Though it has been 18 years since the Jagannath Shetty Commission submitted its report on the communal violence, the State government had neither tabled it nor taken any actions on it.
Mr. Muthalik alleged that Bhatkal was the centre of terrorist activities in the State. “The government should order a probe into these terrorist activities in Bhatkal,” he said.
Replying to a query, Mr. Muthalik criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for banning the Sri Rama Sene in Goa. The ban was in existence for the last four months. The Sene had approached the court challenging the ban. “I and Sri Rama Sene can be banned in Goa, the same thing is happening to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia here (in Udupi). What the BJP sowed in Goa, it is reaping in Karnataka,” he said.
Mr. Muthalik criticised the Udupi district administration for banning the entry of Mr. Togadia, who was expected to participate in the Hindu Samajotsava here on March 8. The cases against Mr. Togadia in the different parts of the country had no connection with the Samajotsava here.
The State government had permitted the route march by Popular Front of India in Shivamogga recently though intelligence agencies had warned of violence. This later resulted in the death of two persons. “How did the State government allow the route march of PFI?” he asked.