MANGALURU: Home Minister G Parameshwar on Saturday announced establishment of an Anti-Communal Task Force (ACTF) in Mangaluru to check the communal incidents in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with senior police officials amid rising tensions following the murders of Ashraf and Suhas Shetty, he announced that an Anti-Communal Task Force (ACTF) would be set up within two weeks, modeled after the Anti-Naxal Force. The task force will be headed by an officer of Inspector General (IG) rank or higher, with its structure to be detailed later.
The home minister said the ACTF will be given powers to take action against forces fanning communal tensions and their supporters with a stern hand in order to ensure peace and harmony in the region. The ACTF will keep a watch on the communal speeches, statements and social media and take deal with the violators with an iron hand as per law.
When reminded that a similar force was announced by him sometime back but it did not make any progress, Parameshwar said it was just a separate wing under Mangaluru city police. Now, the ACTF will be on lines of ANF.
Parameshwar said the Congress government in the state was making all efforts to bring back the past glory of the coastal region by shedding its communally sensitive tag, but the two murders have in a way, challenged their efforts. However, he said their efforts will continue and they will thwart all efforts to disturb peace in the region. “The communal forces will not be allowed to violate the law and order. We will take stern action against them,” he said.
Parameshwar said that after the Congress party took out a padayatra in the region, there were no communal incidents for a few years but it has made a comeback now. “There are several forces behind it and we will and we will not allow them to thrive,” he added.
He denied intelligence failure behind the murder of Suhas Shetty. When pressed further, he said the investigation will bring out the truth.
Responding to a query, he said the Opposition party should have been wise not to glorify Suhas Shetty, who was an accused in two murder cases, with a procession from Mangaluru to his native place. “They say he was associated with them. We don’t endorse such things,” he said.