By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Tension prevailed in coastal Karnataka and Kasargod district of Kerala after a 35-year-old SDPI worker was hacked to death at Padmunje village in Bantwal taluk on Wednesday. Ashraf Kalai, Ammunje zonal unit president of the party was killed after he attended the party’s foundation day observance. An auto driver by profession, he was seen filling potholes of the roads at Padmunje along with his party workers on Wednesday morning.
He was hacked by sword by a group of unidentified people. Police has started searching for the culprits and a sword has been recovered from the spot.
In the wake of the incident, district administration extended the prohibitory orders to one more week. Section 144 was imposed in Bantwal, Belthangady, Puttur and Sullia taluks on June 13 following communal tension. The prohibitory orders were later extended to June 21 midnight and the murder of Ashraf on Wednesday compelled the police to extend it to one more week.
Meanwhile, RSS activists allegedly attempted to create panic in Bantwal following police asked the owners to shut their shops. A group of activists, led by local leader Prabhakar Bhatt, reportedly, compelled the owners to open their shops.
Wednesday’s attack is the third one reported in the district against Muslims. Two Muslim youths were stabbed by miscreants belonging to a saffron outfit in Kalladka on May 27. On Monday night, a Muslim youth Altaf was stabbed by a gang without any provocation in Kasargod district. Altaf was knifed while he was sitting inside an eatery at Choori, where a mosque Imam was hacked to death by RSS workers few months ago. Altaf was shifted to a private hospital in Mangaluru. Police have booked Sandeep under Section 307 (attempt to murder).
Meanwhile, Karnataka state unit of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has urged Karnataka government to book all culprits under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). A release, issued by party state general secretary Abdul Majeed, alleged that the murder of Ashraf Kalai was planned and was aimed at creating riots. The release also urged steps to release immediate compensation for the victim’s family.
“The murder is a perfectly planned act by the communal goons. It is to be noted that the Sangh Parivar has been busy plotting to create communal riots during elections and minority festivals which have led to communal tension and several murders. Recently there has been unrest in Coastal Karnataka due to communal disharmony. The Karnataka Cabinet Ministers have openly stated that the RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar is directly responsible for the riots. In order to establish permanent peace in the Coastal Karnataka, which enjoys a fame for quality of education, health and commerce, Hindu, Muslim and Christians and other communities should join hands and work together continuously,” the party said in a statement.