'Muslim goondas' behind communal tensions in Shivamogga: BJP leader Eshwarappa

Accusing "some Muslim goondas" for communal tension in Shivamogga, Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa on Tuesday warned them stating that Hindu society should not be considered weak and if the whole community stands up together they will not be able to survive.

Complementing police for swift action, he urged the elders of the Muslim community to guide their youngsters, who have chosen the wrong path. "Government is making all attempts to maintain peace, I'm not saying all Hindus and Muslims are involved in such things. Hindu society is strong, it is not weak. If Hindu society really stands up, Muslim goondas will not survive, but Hindus don't want to take law into hands and wants government to take action," Eshwarappa said.

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Speaking to reporters here, he said the police have shown "sample" by taking strong action against miscreants, but still such acts of goondaism and killings are continuing. "I want to tell elders of Muslim community, I'm not saying all Muslims are goondas. Elders of Muslim community have made efforts for peace in the past, I want to tell them to advise the youngsters who are indulging in goondaism, if not the government will act and they should be ready to face it," he added.

The former Minister was responding to communal tension in his home district of Shivamogga following a row between two groups over the installation of a banner with a picture of Hindutva icon V D Savarkar on the occasion of Independence Day on Sunday. Also a young man named Prem Singh was allegedly stabbed by some miscreants.

Noting that he has brought the developments in Shivamogga to the notice of the Chief Minister, he said, the district headquarters town is today peaceful, but such "attempts to kill reflect that the mindset of some 'Musalman' goondas and SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) has not changed."

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"The attempts to attack and kill Hindus are continuously on. I have brought this notice to the CM," he added. Further observing that people of Shivamogga are peace-loving and Hindus and Muslims there have been living like brothers for long, Eshwarappa said, "I have been a legislator from there for long, but in recent times people have come from outside or from Kerala, and activities of some anti-national organisations have increased, leading to such incidents."

Pointing out that the husband of a Congress Corporator in Shivamogga was involved in an earlier incident where V D Savarkar's photo was torn and insulted, and he is in jail today, he said, The Congress should apologise and urged its leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to act on their party workers involved in such acts. "Congress' support to SDPI has led to such a situation in Shivamogga," he alleged.