Mangalore, June 1: Rahim Uchil, President of the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy, has resumed official duty with police protection at the Academy after recovering from the lethal injuries following a murder attempt at the same office about two and a half months ago.
Addressing media persons at a press meet in the Academy office in Mangalore on Friday, Mr. Uchil said that he has been offered police protection by City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh for a few more days.
Stating that he had been offered security by the Commissioner earlier too following a threat call from a certain organisation, Mr. Uchil said that he had never expected a murder bid on him. “I had received a threat call from members of a certain organisation asking me to quit BJP and resign as President of the Academy. They said I had been putting my community to shame and that they will give me a week's time and then a fortnight's time and so on. The Police offered me security but I denied it myself saying that I have not committed any mistake as serious as one deserving a murder attempt. But after the attack took place, I have had sleepless nights thinking as to what wrong have I done that a murder attempt was made on me”, Mr. Uchil said.
Reiterating that apart from members of a certain organisation having affiliation to a certain political party, representatives from all political parties had come to see him in the hospital after the attack, Mr. Uchil said that the same organisation may have planned his attack.
“Eight people have been figured out by the police who have affiliations to a certain organisation but since the attack was well planned, they have managed to escape from the state. The police is carrying out a fair investigation at inter-state level”, he said.
Recited Kalima 16 times
Recalling the attack on him in his office on March 15, Mr. Uchil said that two people entered his cabin when no staff were around and started attacking him with a sword. “I lost my finger in a bid to protect myself and my other arm was also injured. I fell on the ground reciting the 'kalima'. The assaulters were Muslims and every time I repeated the 'kalima' they kept attacking me further because they wanted me to stop saying it. I recited the 'kalima' about 16 times and stopped, and assuming I had died, they left the scene”, Mr. Uchil said.
However, Mr. Uchil maintained that the intent of murder continues to remain a mystery. “It is not necessary that if some people have affiliations to a certain organisation that organisation is behind it. We do not know whether they were used by some other forces. Also, there are chances that some internal forces are responsible”, he said.
When media persons asked which organisation he was referring to, Mr. Uchil said “KFD”. When pointed out that KFD does not exist anymore, Mr. Uchil said “Although the state government has banned it, its members still identify themselves as KFD”.
“BJP did not desert me”
Mr. Uchil also said that the BJP had not deserted him in the tough times he faced. “My party did not desert me. The Chief Minister came to see me and party members kept taking care of my needs”, he said.
The CM has assured that more grants would be given to the Academy and has asked for a land to be identified for the construction of 'Beary Bhavana', Mr. Uchil said. The new standing committee for the Academy will also be formed soon, he added.
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