Mangaluru: Even as the city is gearing up for New Year celebrations, a forum has urged the police department to clear atmosphere of fear created by saffron organisations.

A delegation of Citizens Forum For Mangalore Development (CFFMD) submitted a memorandum to home minister Ramalinga Reddy through Mangaluru City police commissioner T R Suresh drawing attention towards “increase in right wing immoral policing” in Dakshina Kannada.

“With a deep sense of dismay we are hereby approaching you for your immediate intervention in addressing the deteriorating law and order situation in Dakshina Kannada, especially in Mangaluru city due to the increase in anti-social activities by right wing elements.

It has widely been reported in the media that the commissioner of Mangaluru City Police gave audience to Bajrang Dal and VHP to press their demands regarding curbing New Year Celebrations.

Subsequently, leaders of Bajrang Dal and VHP issued threatening statements holding the ‘police department solely responsible for any untoward happenings on that day’.

A subsequent police advisory dated December 28 issued by the office of Mangaluru city police commissioner regarding New Year celebrations unmistakably reveals that the police department has completely abdicated its responsibility to protect the good citizens from anti-social elements, who are bent on disrupting social harmony,” stated CFFMD members in the memorandum.

The forum objected the tone police advisory as offensive to the dignity and civic rights of citizens of Mangaluru, who have every right to celebrate New Year. “After reading the advisory, both its content and its overall spirit leaves us in no doubt that the police department has decided to act as an enforcer of the unreasonable demands and diktats of Bajrang Dal and VHP.

In fact, the advisory puts so many stiff conditions on the citizens and the event organisers instead of instilling confidence among the citizenry. It seems to make it impossible to celebrate New Year in any meaningful way,”they said and pointed out that the police advisory does not contain even a single word of caution against moral policing during New Year celebrations.