BENGALURU: The Karnataka Government has constituted a Special Action Force (SAF), headed by a DIG-rank officer, to prevent communal violence in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shivamogga districts.
The move comes in the wake of a recent spate of murders and communal tensions in these coastal and Malnad regions.
The force, comprising 248 officials, will have three companies stationed in the respective districts that have frequently witnessed communal clashes over the last few years.
The SAF will monitor fundamentalist elements and track communal or hate speeches and statements. It will also monitor content on social media platforms and take appropriate action to prevent any escalation of communal violence.
The SAF officials will assist local police in handling incidents of communal nature.
Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru on Thursday, Home Minister G Parameshwara said the force will begin operations immediately.
“The Government has considered Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shivamogga as sensitive districts and is taking all measures to prevent communal violence and ensure peace and harmony in the region. Stern action will be taken against those fanning communal tensions and their supporters,” the minister said.
Parameshwara added that the State Government has taken serious note of the recent incident in Mangaluru, where a pick-up vehicle driver, Abdul Rahiman, was murdered at Bantwal taluk near Mangaluru on Tuesday. This marks the third murder in Dakshina Kannada in the last one month.
On April 27, Mohammed Ashraf, who hailed from Kerala, was lynched by a mob during a cricket match near Mangaluru. A few days later, on May 1, a Hindutva activist was murdered at Bajpe near Mangaluru.
According to a Government Order dated May 28, 248 officials from the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) have been reassigned to the new task force to tackle communal violence. The ANF, which previously had 656 personnel, will now have 376 officials.
The State Government has decided to continue the ANF for another three years following intelligence reports about the possible movement of Naxals from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to the border areas of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.