Mangalore : The young girls and boys who were assaulted by moral policemen belonging to the Hindu Jagarana Vedike (HJV) at Morning Mist Home Stay Resort in Padil had all taken their parents’ permission before arranging the party. They were celebrating the birthday of one of their friends.

A huge crowd gathered in front of the resort during and after the assault, and the police had to resort to mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. A few people were injured and admitted to KMC Hospital. Later a large number of HJV activists gathered in front of the Kankanady Rural Police Station.

Reliable sources say that Corporator Mohan Padil was present when the revelers were being assaulted. The police arrested six HJV activists along with the corporator, who was later released owing to HJV pressure.

A number of HJV activists also gathered near KMC Hospital, where some of them were admitted for minor injuries caused by police lathi charge. Some of them got into heated arguments with the police. Additional police forces were deployed to the hospital area to prevent violence.

Meanwhile, the Congress organized an all-night protest in front of Pandeshwar Police Station demanding stern action against those who took the law in their own hands. Speaking on the occasion, Ivan D’Souza called the HJV’s actions anti-democratic and condemnable. The youngsters in the resort were engineering students celebrating a friend’s birthday; besides, they had their parents’ permission to party there, he added.

He announced that the Congress will organize an all college bundh on Monday and will organize a protest in front of the DC’s office. Expressing concern over the rising number of moral policing cases in Mangalore, he said that this should be stopped at any cost.

Stating that the people who assaulted the young revelers have exhibited their Taliban culture, he said that the state government is supporting such behavior and taking no action on these goons who are freely walking on the streets of Mangalore. As the police no longer have control over them, they are freely attacking innocent people, especially women. He spoke of the need to awaken the district’s law-enforcement agencies and see that such incidents are not repeated.

A number of Congress workers and leaders such as Praveen Alva, Mithun Rai, Dennis D’Silva, and P. V. Mohan took part in the protest.