Violence Against Women and Minorities in Karnataka

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The CPI(M) strongly condemns the violence against the school going daughter of a Kerala CPI(M) MLA, in Mangalore. The violence included forcible abduction from a public bus, confinement, physical beating, humiliation, threats. Alongwith her a young Muslim man who was traveling on the same bus and who was a brother of a school classmate was further targeted. It is the fascistic agenda of the sangh parivar and the Hindutva brigade targeting minorities and women’s rights in the name of culture which has spawned such criminal elements. They act with impunity because of the patronage if not connivance of the BJP-led government of Karnataka. It has not only refused to book such elements and proscribe their organisation under the Unlawful Prevention of Activities Act in spite of repeated attacks, but which has provided justification for their criminal acts as in the case of the assault on young women in a Mangalore pub.

The Karnataka government must be forced to act. The Central government is duty bound to ensure that women and minorities are protected in Karnataka.