Govt. muting voice of students through police, say Mangaluru City MLAs

Y. Bharath Shetty, Mangaluru City North MLA, at a press conference in Mangaluru on Tuesday.
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H.S. MANJUNATH

Alleging that there was police excess on protesting students outside St. Agnes College on Monday, Mangaluru City MLAs on Tuesday accused the Congress-led State government of suppressing the voice of students through police force.

Addressing separate press conferences, Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath and Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty alleged that police manhandled students who were peacefully demanding postponement of odd-semester examinations scheduled by the college during Dasara time. The students did not indulge in any violence, they said.

Women police were not deployed in enough number during the protest though girl students were in large number. they said.

They said that the police did not allow ABVP activists to submit a memorandum to the college authorities. They were taken into custody even before submitting a memorandum. Mr. Kamath maintained that the police allowed NSUI activists to visit the college during the protest while the ABVP activists were prevented.

Mangaluru City South MLA said that a police official slapped a student for shouting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. “Is chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ a crime?” Mr. Kamath asked, demanding suspension of the official.

He held district in-charge Minister U. T. Khader and MLC Ivan D’Souza responsible for the police manhandling the students. “It is because police excess on the students did not stop even after I spoke to Mr. Khader and Mr. D’Souza over phone,” Mr. Kamath said.

Both MLAs demanded that the State government issue an order directing education institutions not to hold examinations during festivals like Nagara Panchami and Sri Krishna Ashtami.