Church attacks hidden agenda of BJP government: Saldanha

DHNS

Mangalore, 24 February 2011: The ’Justice M F Saldanha Enquiry Commission Report’ has concluded that ’’the church attack incidents are representative of the hidden agenda of the party in power in the State, the BJP, which is driven by a very strong casteist force.

 

 

Speaking to reporters after releasing the report in Mangalore on Thursday, Justice M F Saldanha said that every attacks and incidents, which took place were instigated and pre-planned.

 

“Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and the then Home Minister Dr V S Acharya were directly responsible for the State-sponsored attacks,” Saldanha charged.

 

“In all the incidents involving violence, the principal culpability rests with the State police department. Not a single instance of violence, be it lati charge, use of teargas, smashing of vehicles, church property, crucifix, statues and sacred objects, can either be condoned or justified,” he added and said that those were all rank criminal offences for which officers and staff concerned deserved to be prosecuted.

 

Saldanha observed that the police violence committed inside the primary school at Kulshekhar is unpardonable and unprecedented.

 

“The use of out-dated teargas shells containing toxic gas inside the church and school can only be defined as an attempt to murder. The arrogance of the police officers standing with their boots on the sacred altar table is again unpardonable and unforgivable,” he noted.

 

The Bajrang Dal and Sri Ram Sene leaders had boldly and openly admitted that it was their organisations which had undertaken all the attacks.

 

No action according to law was taken against those two organisation leaders and others who were responsible for a virtual reign of terror in two districts, Justice M F Saldanha said  adding, “this aspect assumes great significance because it conclusively establishes the total collusion between the BJP government and these organisations.”

 

‘No conversion cases’

 

“I had visited 413 places including hospitals, police stations, jails, government offices, prayer centres, examined 673 witnesses and 2,114 victims.

 

However, I could not find instances of forceful conversion. No cases of forceful conversions were registered in any of the police stations across the State as on September 14, 2008,” Saldanha said.

 

On allegations of circulation of offensive literature ‘Satyadarshini,’ Saldanha said, “it was a ploy to justify the unpardonable and indefensible attacks.”