Despite the alleged involvement of the Sri Rama Sene in the hoisting of a Pakistan flag at Sindagi in Bijapur district on January 1, the State Government does not propose to ban the outfit at this stage. The police have arrested seven activists of the sene in connection with the incident.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Minister for Home and Transport R. Ashok said, “There is evidence of the involvement of the Sri Rama Sene in the recent hoisting of a Pakistan flag at Sindagi. But there is no move to ban the outfit at this stage.”

He said the investigation was at a certain stage and the Government would spell out its stand when the charge sheet was filed in court.

Many formalities had to be gone through and correct and confirmed evidence was required for banning the outfit. “At this stage, there is no need to ban the organisation,” he said.

Mr. Ashok said that he would hold discussions with Chief Minister D.V. Sadananada Gowda on banning the sene headed by Pramod Muthalik. Activists of the sene are facing charges of disturbing communal harmony in the State, he said.

In the past, Sri Rama Sene activists were found to be involved in attacks on churches and other religious places. He would place before the Chief Minister details of the outfit's activities and the role of its activists in those incidents also, the Home Minister said.

To a query, Mr. Ashok said, “There is no link between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Sri Rama Sene.”

He said that the number of communal clashes in the State had declined from the earlier 28 to 30 to just 7 to 8 a year now.

The police were keeping a special vigil at places where incidents of communal violence took place in the past five years, he said.

An 80-member commando force had started functioning to deal with such incidents as well as to fight naxalites. Eighty more personnel would soon join them. They would be deployed in Mangalore, Hubli, Gulbarga and Belgaum, he added.

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