UT Khader to CM: Why communalism in paying compensation? Can’t you treat all victims’ families equally?

Mangaluru, July 29: Mangaluru MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Assembly U T Khader has urged the Karnataka government to pay equal compensation to the kin of all those who lost their lives in the attack by "communal forces and anti-social elements" in Dakshina Kannada. 

Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, the Congress leader reminded the chief minister Basavaraj Bommai that government pays compensation from the taxpayers money and not from the pocket of the CM. 

"The government should treat families of the three persons who were killed by assailants equally and announce compensation impartially," he said.

"The CM who visited the family of Praveen Nettaru at Bellare should have visited the family of Mohammed Masood also who was killed by assailants a week ago in Bellare. The act of the CM distributing compensation to the family of only Praveen Nettaru and ignoring other innocents has raised question on the kind of democratic government prevailing in the state. The government should provide justice to all the families," he said.

"The pain of three families who lost their sons are the same. All three family members have appealed to the Chief Minister to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the district again. When the government acts impartially, even the officials discharge their duties impartially."

If the government had taken precautionary measure after the first murder in Bellare, other incidents would not have happened, Khader added.

He said the government and police should consider the murder of Masood, Praveen and Fazil in Dakshina Kannada district seriously and thorough investigation should be conducted.

Strict action should be initiated against those who were directly or indirectly involved in these three murders in the district, demanded the MLA.

"While political pressure to arrest the culprits should not be an excuse for the police to cause any inconvenience to innocents, people should also support the government and the police in maintaining peace and harmony in the district," he said.

The MLA urged the political leaders not to issue any provocative statements and help in maintaining peace and harmony in Dakshina Kannada. "Provocative statements elsewhere will also have its impact in the district. The need of the hour is installing peace, harmony and brotherhood," he added.