Centre responds favorably to Justice Saldanha’s church attack reports

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Mar 23: Justice M. F. Saldanha told reporters at a press meet held on March 23, Wednesday that he had personally submitted a report prepared by a People’s Enquiry Tribunal on the atrocities against minority communities to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and that the PM has responded favorably to it.

 

He said that the PM has especially assured all the citizens of Karnataka that the central government will ensure the safety and welfare of all citizens, especially minority communities and weaker sections of society.

Further, he said that Vice President Hamid Ansari has expressed his regrets over violence against members of the minority communities and the destruction of their places of worship and has said that such events cannot be tolerated in a democratic country and will be curbed.

He also informed that Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that the minorities in the coastal region will be protected at any cost. Recalling the incidents that took place in Mysore, he said that the center will deploy armed forces to protect the minorities if and when required.

Regarding the reactions of Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily, Justice Saldanha said that Mr. Moily expressed distress over attacks on minorities in his own home town and over the fact that the state government has identified itself with communal forces. Flaying the region’s subordinate judiciary, Moily said that it has completely failed in protecting the rights of the victims.

B. V. Seetharam, the state vice president of PUCL; P. B. D’Sa, the president of PUCL; Suresh Bhat Bakrabail, the state vice president; and M. Kabir, the secretary of PUCL, were present during the press meet.