BENGALURU: Even as Shivamogga, the epicentre of the recent communal flare-up, continued to simmer, with right-wing leaders calling for a ‘Hindu Jihad’ following the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha, Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan said serious attempts should be made to stop communalisation of the situation.
His opinion found an echo in former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur, former Law Commission Chairman Justice A P Shah and former DG&IGP Ajai Kumar Singh. Bhushan, who questioned why courts were not reining in communal forces, said, “This communalisation of a murder is being done according to the playbook of the BJP, which was earlier done in Gujarat.”
Justice Lokur said, “Every murder is horrible, but should not be politicised or communalised. In the interest of justice, making political or communal statements could vitiate the atmosphere and affect investigation.” “Communalising poses great danger to society. Karnataka is becoming a volatile state and such communal colouring of events should be discouraged, or the state will turn into a hate factory. It is the duty of the political class and bureaucracy to ensure that events are not politicised,’’ said Justice Shah.
Retired IAS officer MG Devasahayam, terming the happenings “Goebellsian”, said the hate agenda has to stop. “The hate agenda is kept boiling against minority communities by repeating lies against them. When parties have nothing to show by way of achievements, they indulge in hatred,” he said.
Ajai Kumar Singh, who was Shivamogga SP back in 1981-83, appealed to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra to uphold the rule of law and bring to book all those involved in Harsha’s murder. “They must also take action against those who organised and led the procession in violation of prohibitory orders, and for the resultant violence.”