Editorial: Blasphemous speeches of Bhatkal BJP leaders finally successful in triggering violence in coastal belt

Bhatkallys News Bureau/ I. Zaorez Shabab Bhatkal 11 Dec 2017: The Sharavati region of coastal Karnataka has been hit by communal clashes for last week, thanks to the blasphemous speeches by some of the local BJP leaders of Bhatkal. Continuous efforts were being made in by these 'leaders' in a bid to trigger communal clashes in the region keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections. The clashes began after a scuffle between two individuals over a minor road accident turned violent and soon embraced the communal colors. The incident was followed by several cases of violence in and around Honnavar. Security personnel were soon guarding each nook and corner of the town and despite that, many people were injured from both the community. The whole incident took an ugly turn when one of the youth was reported missing and soon his allegedly murdered body was recovered from a lake. The local BJP leaders now knew that this is their best time to trigger communal tension in the region and rushed to the clashes hit Honnavar. Another Muslim youth Abdul Gafoor of Sirsi has been reported missing since then, and the local administration is putting in all their hard work to trace him. Several videos since then have been doing rounds on social media wherein some BJP leaders including the BJP's Bhatkal MLA candidate of 2013 Govinda Naik are seen spitting venom against Islam and Muslims, and are provoking people to be violent against the minorities. In one of the video, Govinda Naik can be heard saying that the killing of Paresh Mesta, looked 'Islamic way of Killing' and alleged that the murderers came from Bhatkal to kill him. He is further heard saying "The police and Judiciary will never give justice to Mesta and his family and it should be us who must give justice to him, and it should not worry us if some of us are even killed in this process. We are ready for that". On Monday a bandh and protests were called in several places in the region including Kumta, Honnavar and Manki. And since afternoon reports of violence in Kumta has been doing rounds all over. In one case of violence a police vehicle was set ablaze and one of the lady officer was injured when the protesters turned violent in Kumta. Following the incident Shankar Naik, another BJP leader and Sri Ram Sene activist of Bhatkal posted a status update on Facebook in Kannada, translation of which reads as follows 'Burning the police vehicles will not give justice to Paresh Mesta, instead burning his killers will give justice to him'. When another user commented on his status saying 'We have the blades, what to do with it' Shankar replied by commenting 'Use it against the Muslims'. If at all the situation is to improve soon, the department and administration should work on bringing an halter in use against these perpetrators of these communal clashes, and should also take them into precautionary detention and also book them for instigating violence and communal tension. Else this fire may engulf the whole district and law enforcing agency may have to face the tougher days ahead.