Ex-Karnataka minister accuses communal groups of spreading misinformation

Mangaluru (Karnataka), Mar 13 (PTI) Congress leader B Ramanath Rai on Thursday urged law enforcement authorities to take action on their own against leaders of certain communal organisations allegedly spreading false narratives to incite unrest.

Addressing a press conference here, Rai expressed concern over what he described as a systematic effort to disrupt communal harmony.

He argued that prosecuting lower-level activists was insufficient and called for cases to be registered against those in leadership positions who, he claimed, were responsible for provoking such incidents.

"It was a clear attempt to foment communal clashes," he stated.

Referring to the recent case of missing youth Diganth, the former minister asserted that the situation could have escalated into a communal clash had the police not intervened in time.

He contended that while discussing the disappearance itself would have been a legitimate political approach, certain groups attempted to exploit the incident to inflame tensions.

"The timely action of the police in locating Diganth helped prevent a possible communal disturbance," Rai said, urging the public to remain vigilant against politically motivated narratives.

Drawing parallels with previous incidents, Rai accused right-wing groups of "distorting facts" for electoral gains.

He cited the 2017 murder of Sharath Madivala, alleging that misleading propaganda was used to influence public sentiment.

He also claimed that during Tipu Jayanti celebrations, BJP workers were responsible for the killing of Harish Poojary—a case that was later framed differently in the political discourse.

Rai criticised the prevailing political climate in Dakshina Kannada, asserting that certain politicians deliberately exploit cases of murder or disappearance to fuel communal divisions. He called for stringent legal action against those inciting violence and disturbing societal peace. PTI CORR AMP SSK ROH