Congress leaders oppose police creating awareness about the cattle-slaughter ban inside a mosque

Congress demands withdrawal; police assure they will not visit mosques

Vitla (Dakshina Kannada) – Congress leaders from the minority community have expressed displeasure over the police department choosing a mosque as a venue for an awareness drive on the cattle-slaughter ban law. A delegation led by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary and minority leader M S Mohammad met Vitla Police Station Inspector Prakash Devadiga and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

The delegation told the police that action should indeed be taken firmly and without hesitation against anyone involved in illegal or unethical activities; however, it is not appropriate to single out one community by conducting awareness programmes inside mosques. They stated that they have no objection to the police conducting public-level awareness initiatives regarding cattle slaughter or drug abuse, but it is unfair to identify wrongdoers by their religion and target an entire community. They also claimed that their religious leaders speak about these issues every Friday to create awareness within the community. (If that is true, then how is large-scale cattle slaughter still continuing in the State ? – Editor)

Responding to this, Inspector Prakash Devadiga assured the delegation that police would not visit mosques within the jurisdiction of the Vitla Police Station for such awareness drives.

Editorial Perspectives

• Muslims do not regard the cow as mother; therefore cattle slaughter takes place freely. If awareness about the cattle-slaughter ban is not created precisely where the slaughter happens, then where else should it be done ?

• If police avoid awareness drives in mosques simply because Muslims oppose it, then how can they be called ‘protectors of the law’ ?

• In Karnataka, where the Congress itself is in power, the very attempt by the police to take such an initiative is itself remarkable !