Karnataka convener of Bajrang Dal Mahendra Kumar Arrested

Attack on churches: Karnataka cops arrest Bajrang Dal convener


MANGALORE: Karnataka convener of Bajrang Dal Mahendra Kumar was on Friday night arrested by the police in connection with the spate of attacks on churches and prayer halls in parts of the state. ( Watch )

"Mahendra Kumar has been arrested tonight," Western Range Deputy Inspector General of Police A M Prasad said.

Soon after the attacks on churches on September 15 in parts of Mangalore and Udupi in coastal regions and in Chikamaglur in Malnad area, Bajrang Dal owned responsibility for them, claiming that incidents of forced conversion had prompted them.

A day after issuing a strict advisory to BJP-ruled Karnataka in the wake of continued violence against Christians, the Centre on Friday issued a stricter one to the state asking it to act tough against perpetrators of crimes and check violence as the developments were in "breach of the Constitution and the law of the country".

Although the Centre draws its power from Article 355 of the Constitution to issue any kind of advisory/directive to states, the home ministry preferred not to go on record on this provision with officials maintaining that there was no other provision which allowed them to direct the states.

A senior official said: "It is the language and tone of the advisory which matters and makes it different from each other. The one issued to Karnataka is certainly a very strict one which, unlike other advisories, asked the state government to not only take urgent steps to control violence but also report the matter immediately to the Centre."

Strict advisories — a milder version of the Karnataka one — were also sent to Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala by the home ministry, asking them to ensure against "recurrence of any further incidents of violence and vandalism". While Orissa and Madhya Pradesh had reported some incidents in the last few days, Kerala came into the picture due to some disturbance along the border with Karnataka.

The kind of language used in the missive sent to Karnataka, however, appeared to be a virtual indictment of the state government's poor handling of the situation arising out of attacks on churches and Christians. It also mentioned how the violence vitiated the atmosphere and there was apprehension "not only within the country but also on international level". Asked whether the kind of advisories sent to Karnataka could be taken as a precursor to impose President's rule, a senior official said such advisories should not be taken as a step before going in for President's rule until the Centre asks the governor to send a report of law and order situation in the state.

"Option of imposing Article 356 (President's rule) will arise only when a governor sends a report that the law and order situation is alarming and the governance cannot be carried out in accordance with the Constitution," said an official.

Explaining the seriousness of the advisories, the official said the one sent to Karnataka was issued by Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to the chief secretary of the state unlike the other ones which are sent from the level of a joint secretary. Gupta in the missive even asked the chief secretary to bring it to the notice of the Chief Minister - a rare one as other advisories never carry such direction.

Karnataka orders judicial inquiry into violence

CM B S Yeddyurappa, who on Thursday had ruled out a judicial inquiry as demanded by the National Commission for Minorities, opposition parties and religious organizations, chose to do a U-turn.

He announced a judicial probe by a retired HC judge and said the Corps of Detectives investigation will also go on simultaneously.

Yeddyurappa, who had earlier said that the police was competent enough to conduct the CoD probe said: "A judicial probe will look into the attack on churches and the violent incidents that followed." Link