Dakshina Kannada will be fine if political parties stop being overactive, says Reddy

BENGALURU: Home minister R Ramalinga Reddy insists “everything will be fine” in Dakshina Kannada district “if all political organizations and parties stop being overactive”. The district has been a hotbed of communal violence and Reddy claimed the people “are fed up” with the circle of violence.
Reddy was speaking to reporters here on Thursday following the unrest in Mangaluru over the murder of Hindu activist, Deepak Rao.Excerpts from an interview.
Has the motive for Deepak Rao’s murder been established?
The police have nabbed four for their involvement in the case and a probe is on. The enmity began when Deepak reportedly refused to delete a video containing an altercation between two groups over putting up flex-boards and buntings. Meanwhile, the BJP is claiming that Deepak was a Hindu activist and the accused are members of the Popular Front of India (PFI).
Why is the coastal region continuously on the boil?
Only Paresh Mesta’s death (last month) triggered communal violence. But Mesta’s father himself later stated that his son was not a member of any party. Over the last few months, deaths in this region are being politicized. BJP leaders claim that 19 Hindu activists have been killed so far. But I have reviewed the cases and have found that while 11 of these people were killed in the backdrop of clashes with the PFI, the remaining eight were murdered because of personal rivalry. Also, six PFI activists have been killed so far. But the BJP prepares a list of all deaths and misleads people stating that Hindus are being killed in Karnataka.
The government is doling out compensation for murders in coastal districts, but families of murder victims in other districts are not being compensated. Why?
Even in Rao’s case, his relatives demanded that I come to the spot while BJP leaders wanted higher compensation. Sometimes the situation demands it (he did not elaborate).
The BJP says the Congress government is extending tacit support to PFI...
Why would we support PFI? Are they our coalition partner? The BJP plays politics of convenience. In Savanur gram panchayat near MP Shobha Karandlaje’s hometown in Belthangady taluk, the BJP had an arrangement with PFI and defeated the Congress in the polls. But now they blame the Congress.
The BJP has demanded a ban on PFI and wants Rao’s case to be handed over to NIA...
The Centre has the powers to ban the PFI. Let them do it. As for the NIA, I have confidence in the state police. Political parties should create communal harmony and not fuel hatred. The problem with Dakshina Kannada is that political organisations are overactive and do everything for political gain. The region will be peaceful if parties become less active. If not people will rebel.
BJP accuses you and CM Siddaramaiah of playing politics over deaths...
Didn’t people die during the previous BJP government here? In Haryana, 37 people died during the Dera Sach violence. Why didn’t the BJP demand the resignation of their CM? After the 2002 Gujarat riots, none in the BJP government resigned. After our government came to power, the crime rate has reduced. BJP leaders are aware of the statistics, but they keep talking about lawnessless just to appease PM Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.