A day after a section of Congressmen tried to disrupt the speech of senior party leader B. Janardhana Poojary over his “silence” on RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat in Gurupura, its District Unit in-charge president Ibrahim Kodikal denied any rift in the party.
Some party activists reportedly asked Mr. Poojary to comment on Mr. Bhat, against whom a complaint has been filed in Bajpe police station for his remarks made on January 5. They raised their voice against Mr. Poojary when he allegedly skirted the issue and instead referred to problems faced by people because of Aadhaar registration.
The activists told Mr. Poojary to speak about Mr. Bhat’s alleged derogatory comments which had hurt religious sentiments of a section of society.
Mr. Poojary first thought the activists were from the Social Democratic Party of India and asked them to move away. When the activists said they were from the Congress, Mr. Poojary told them there was no point in behaving like what Mr. Bhat had done. “If we do so we will be hauled up under stern provisions of law.” Mr. Poojary said it was better to highlight problems faced by people such as the ones resulting from Aadhaar.
Mr. Kodikal said that the activists merely raised their voices expressing the need for tough action against Mr. Bhat. Moreover, the meeting was not a protest but one called for building solidarity among communities in the region.
On Mr. Bhat, the district Congress in-charge said, “He will be arrested if the police find truth in the allegation. Organisers of the January 5 function have told me that Mr. Bhat has not made any derogatory statement.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Kodikal said the district unit will be holding public meetings from January 20 to January 27 at different places in the district highlighting the programmes carried out by the Congress-led UPA government.
The first meeting will be held in Puttur on January 20. This will be followed by meetings in Moodbidri, Bantwal, Sullia, Mangalore South and Belthangady assembly constituencies.
