Mangaluru: Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) held a demonstration here on Tuesday protesting the assault on a youth by a group of members from another community, and alleged the youth was beaten up solely because of his religious identity. Addressing the gathering in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in the city, DYFI State president Muneer Katipalla said the police complaint filed by the girl who was with the youth, was an afterthought planned by Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell. The police should immediately arrest Mr. Sharan, who forced the girl to hold a press conference on the topic, he demanded.

The assault, Mr. Muneer said, has exposed the Siddaramaiah government in the State, which has miserably failed to protect the minorities. Legislators from the district, including in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, who always speaks out against communalism, have failed to protect the minority communities, he alleged.

DYFI district president Dayanand Shetty said the Congress had failed to prevent the spread of communalism in the district, which has extended its tentacles in the past 15 years. It has made communalism a vote bank politics, he alleged.

Meanwhile, Mangaluru South MLA J.R. Lobo visited the assault victim at a private hospital and consoled him. He said the police had been instructed to take stringent action against the perpetrators of crime.

Such incidents would not only defame the name of Mangaluru, but would also affect the cordial relations among different communities in the region, he said. It is unfortunate that such incidents were taking place in the district which is known as an “educated” district, Mr. Lobo said.