Attempts made to create 'terrorised' atmosphere in Dakshina Kannada: Dinesh Gundu Rao

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday said anti-national forces are targeting Muslims and alleged that attempts are made to create a "terrorised" atmosphere in Dakshina Kannada district, where a 32-year-old man was killed, and described the situation as "worrying".

He also hit out at the BJP, citing comments against senior officials from the Muslim community, and called the mindset "extremists or terrorists".

"The incident has pained us. I have discussed with the chief minister and the home minister. We have to take further action. The situation is being created for a terrorised atmosphere there. It is worrying as it is aimed at creating fear, with a mindset that they can do anything without any fear of law. This is very clearly visible," Rao said.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Home Minister G Parameshwara here, he said one person had died, but, as per information received, the plan was to kill more people.

Rao, who is also in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district, said that a discussion will be held with the chief minister regarding further steps to be taken in the district and maintaining law and order.

"These forces are anti-national forces because they want to create a fear in society, on a community -- the Muslim community. If they (Muslims) speak anything they are being targeted -- let it be whoever from the Muslim community -- the kind of language used against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Taranum by BJP leaders, it shows the extremists, terrorist mindset of the BJP," he said, pointing at statements made by Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah and Karnataka MLC N Ravi Kumar respectively.

The murder victim, Abdul Rahiman, and his 29-year-old co-worker Kalandar Shafi, were unloading gravel when two motorcycle-borne youth made a murderous assault on them with a sword in this town on Tuesday. While Rahiman succumbed to his injuries, Shafi is undergoing treatment.

Rahiman's murder comes close on the heels of Suhas Shetty's killing on May 1 in the communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada district, and the latest murder is also being seen as communal overtones prevailing in the district, though a police investigation report is yet to come out.

Stating that statements are being made to project Muslims as Pakistanis, Rao said this country belongs to everyone according to the Constitution, but they don't have faith in it.

"Such a mindset has polluted the minds of the youth and they are getting influenced. This is a bad development as it is becoming a cause for violent incidents. Whoever has committed the crime, whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, the guilty must be punished and the government is taking all the necessary measures," he added.

The health minister said the person who was killed was innocent and had no criminal background.

"These people (perpetrators) don't have humanity. Which religion says to do such things (murders)? Does Hindu religion or Bhagavad Gita or Ramayana say? Someone who doesn't know anything was killed. What does his family have to do?" he asked.

Noting that strict measures have to be taken to establish peace, punish the guilty and ensure that such incidents don't repeat, Rao said, "Police will have to take further measures, we are discussing it. We have taken the case seriously. This is a challenge for the government. Such forces need to be suppressed legally, and peace should be established in society."