By IANS,
Bangalore : Sri Rama Sene founder-president Pramod Muthalik Tuesday apologised for the attack on some girls allegedly by members of his Hindu right wing organisation at a Mangalore pub Saturday.
Muthalik told reporters at Belgaum in north Karnataka, about 500 km from here, that what happened at the Mangalore pub was unfortunate and condemnable.
A group of 40 activists of the Sri Rama Sene barged into the pub Amnesia – The Lounge in Mangalore and bashed up a group of young women and men, claiming the women were violating traditional Indian values.
So far, 27 of the 40 member group, including Sene state vice-president Prasad Attavara, have been arrested for the attack and charged with outraging the modesty of women, rioting, assault and unlawful assembly.
“Their method was wrong. I apologise for that. It should not have happened. But it was done to save our daughters and mothers from an alien culture,” a defiant Muthalik said, before he was detained by the police in a case not related to the Mangalore attack.
Earlier, in interviews to regional and national channels, Muthalik denied that the attack was carried out by the members of his organisation.
“They are not our workers. There is a conspiracy against the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government in Karnataka. The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government at the centre and the Congress are behind the conspiracy to tarnish the image of the state government,” Muthalik said.
Accusing the media of blowing up the incident, Muthalik said a deliberate attempt was being made to spoil the reputation of the BJP government in the state.
Denying any connection with the BJP, Muthalik said his Hindutva organisation was working for the protection of Indian culture and tradition in Karnataka over the last three years and to save Hindutva from “pseudo-secularists”.
“Those who attacked the girls were not our members. Our workers pulled the girls out of the pub for indulging in drinking, dancing and taking drugs. They (my workers) are not mad boys. They are patriotic. To protect women from the evils of western culture is our right. It is the duty of every Indian citizen to stop such activities as pub culture is not ours,” Muthalik asserted.
Regretting the incident, Muthalik said he was ready to meet the victims and apologise for the unfortunate attack.
“They are our sisters. I will apologise to the victims,” Muthali reiterated.
Defending his organisation and its moral policing, Muthalik said what the girls were doing in the pub was not right according to Indian culture and tradition.
“The activities at the pub were brought to the notice of the local police. But no action was taken. Though my members lodged a complaint against what was happening in the pub, the police did not do anything,” Muthalik affirmed.
Refuting the charge of state Home Minister V.S. Acharya that his members were extortionists, Muthalik said collecting money was not their objective.
“It is 100 percent wrong. We don’t ask for any money,” he said.