Retired High Court Judge M.F. Saldanha said on Sunday that the State Government had abdicated its responsibility of protecting the minority communities in the State.
Mr. Saldanha told presspersons that in many instances, when members of the minority communities approached the police stations with their complaints on communal violence or harassment, instead of catching the perpetrators of crime, the complainants were harassed. In most instances, the police does not register case. In other instances, the police played an active role in hushing up or destroying evidence instead of protecting it. They were doing this on the directions of their political masters.
Even the bureaucracy and lower judiciary gave the impression of having abdicated their duty. The functioning of the lower judiciary was particularly disappointing when it came to dealing with communal cases. The people of minority communities were living in a state of fear in the State, particularly in the coastal districts. The assault on five Christians near Surathkal on December 25, 2011, showed that things were pretty bad in the coastal districts.
The only way to deal with this situation where minorities were living under the constant shadow of fear was to create public opinion. About a few decades ago, all communities lived in harmony in the coastal Karnataka, it was necessary to bring back those times, Mr. Saldanha said.
Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike State unit general secretary K.L. Ashok said the BJP wanted political polarisation in the State.
