Mangalutu : The Congress threatened on Wednesday that it will sit on dharna in front of the Surathkal police station from Thursday if the police did not arrest all those involved in Sunday’s ‘moral policing’ incident which took place at Surathkal toll plaza and invoke stringent provisions against the accused.

Addressing presspersons, MLC and Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee president K. Harish Kumar said,  BJP say Congress has Taliban culture. Nalin Kumar Kateel called Siddaramaiah a terrorist. In reality, the BJP’s culture is equal to Talibanis. The demolition of temple at Mysuru displayed that to all, he alleged.

that a city police officer, who was in civilian dress, was a witness to the assault on medical students by Bajarang Dal activists.

The police should have booked the accused under harsher sections for which bail is not easily available as the accused had assaulted and abused the students.

But by invoking “light” provisions, the police have enabled the accused to get bail at the police station soon after the arrest. “Obviously the police have done this under political pressure,” he said.

The police have also failed to book the activists under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant for discharge of his duty), he said.

The assault was an organised act by Bajrang Dal activists to disturb peace and help Bharatiya Janata Party gain voters’ sympathy for the upcoming Assembly elections. The law and order in the State has collapsed, he said.

Mangaluru MLA and former district in-charge Minister U.T. Khader said it was sad to see police and the district administration allowing the persons who have assaulted students to go scot free.

“Such an action does not go well with the image of Dakshina Kannada, which has taken a severe beating,” he said and added that students from other States and industrial units are not willing to come to Mangaluru fearing attacks. The activists do not respect law and they do not have any fear of law, he added.