Nelyadi attacks - petition for ban on Bajrang Dal

Mangalore Today News Network

Nelyady, Oct 30, 2015: Expressing concern over the recent incident of communal tension at Nelyadi village in Dakshina Kannada district, a New Delhi resident filed a petition before the National Commission for Minorities and the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking a ban on Bajrang Dal.

 

Petitioner Shehzad Poonawalla, in his plea, said a barber belonging to a minority community had refused to shut his shop “as per custom” in the village, triggering attacks on him and others. Nelyadi village has nine hair dressing salons of which eight belong to one community and one to another.

A few hairdressers of the majority community had asked the lone shop to close as the ’Savita Samaja’, an umbrella organisation of hairdressers, had declared holiday on Tuesdays, according to the police.  His refusal led to clashes and soon, tension prevailed in the village as groups belonging to both the communities engaged in tense actions.The Uppinangady police, however, intervened and brought the situation under control by resorting to lathi charge.

DK SP S.D. Sharanappa stated that the violence was spontaneous and not pre-meditated. The role of an organisation was not visible in the incident, though participants might have belonged to some of the organisations, he said. However, no one should take the law into their hand, he said, adding that nine persons had been arrested so far.