Mangaluru : The district administration held a peace meeting on Thursday, July 13. However, major political parties including BJP and JD(S) boycotted the meet.

District in-charge Minister Ramanath Rai has warned police officials to take stringent action against those who are responsible for the criminal offenses and who are behind the offenses in recent Communal Violences.

Meanwhile, at the peace meeting, JD(S) leader Vasanth Poojari and other party workers staged a walked out as a request made by them to hold padayatre for peace from Mangaluru to Kalladka was not permitted by the district administration and police. “We have sought permission to hold a padayatre for peace by our party Supremo and former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and president H D Kumaraswamy, but the same has been declined by the police and district administration. Hence, we are boycotting the peace,” Poojari said.

Meanwhile, leaders of CPI(M), Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and various other organisations pointed out lack of stringent action on part of the police department, hate campaigns through social media and provocative speeches by leaders reason for communal friction in the district. CPI(M) leader Yadav Shetty said false messages of religious conversion, love jihad and cow slaughter leads to hatred among different communities in the region. “The district administration has the responsibility to provide the status of such messages clarifying whether such instances are actually reported. Innocent people are being made scapegoats in many criminal cases,” he said.

Leaders from various organisations appreciated Minister Ramanath Rai for holding the Peace meeting. MLAs Abhaychandra Jain, Moideen Bava and Shakuntala Shetty, Mayor Kavitha Sanil, Police Commissioner T R Suresh, IGP Western Range Harishekaraan, SP Sudheer Reddy, ZP CEO Dr Ravi and ADC Kumar were also present.