MANGALURU: Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Saturday announced the establishment of an Anti-Communal Task Force (ACTF) in Mangaluru to check the communal incidents in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Talking to reporters after holding a discussion with senior police officers in Mangaluru given the tension that has gripped the region following the murders of Ashraf and Suhas Shetty, Dr Parameshwara said the ACTF be set up within two weeks on lines of the Anti-Naxal Force. It will be headed by an Inspector General (IG) or above rank officer. The format of ACF will be announced later.
The 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 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, Dr Parameshwara said that it was just a separate wing under Mangaluru city police. “Now, the ACTF will be on lines of ANF,” he said.
Dr Parameshwara said that the Congress government in Karnataka 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. He, however, said their efforts will continue and thwart all efforts to disturb peace in the region. “The communal forces will not be allowed to violate the law and order,” he said.
Dr Parameshwara said that after the Congress took out a padayatra in the region, there were no communal incidents for a few years, but it has made a comeback. “There are several forces behind it, and we will not allow them to thrive,” he added.
He denied intelligence failure behind Suhas’s murder. When pressed further, he said the investigation would bring out the truth.
He said the Opposition should have been wise not to glorify Suhas 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,” Dr Parameshwara said.