Anti-communal task force will be formed to tackle communal crimes: Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara

Karnataka government to form anti-communal task force to tackle hate speeches and communal crime in coastal districts.

To effectively tackle communal crime, including hate speeches, the Karnataka government will shortly form an anti-communal task force, on the lines of Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), that will work in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, said Home Minister G. Parameshwara in Mangaluru on Saturday.

Talking to reporters after a meeting to review measures following the recent mob lynching and murder in the city, Dr. Parameshwara said the new task force would be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector-General of Police. Personnel from the ANF, which is being tapered down because of the absence of Maoist activity in the State, and other police personnel, would be part of it.

The members of the new task force would work in coordination with local personnel to take effective action against persons who try to disturb peace in the region. Apart from persons who are doing it, the task force would act against those behind these crimes. “The new task force will have all powers vested in law to take effective action,” the Home Minister said.

The new task force would be set up in about 15 days, he added.

Asked about the demand of former Home Minister B. Ramanath Rai for a special investigation team for the mob lynching of 35-year-old Ashraf on April 27, Dr. Parameshwara said the new task force was being set up to answer his concerns.

The government would handle with an iron hand all the communal forces who want to disturb peace in the two coastal districts. “We (the Congress) carried out a march in the region, which led to a drop in communal incidents. Now, there is a repeat of incidents disturbing communal harmony in the region. There is a definite form behind it. These (communal) forces will be effectively curtailed,” Dr. Parameshwara said. The government was committed to restoring peace in the region and bringing in investments for further development the two coastal districts.

The government and the police have not glorified the murder of 30-year-old Suhas Shetty, who was accused in five criminal cases, including two murder cases. It was the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Hindutava groups that glorified the murder. The State police acted effectively, following the murder, to prevent the situation from going out of control, the Minister said.