Karnataka: Police investigating “army” called Dharma Shakti Sena

The Hindu
May 6, 2008

Police probing tapes of “rally for self-defence”

Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE: An investigation will be initiated into alleged participation of politicians in a recruitment rally for a “self-defence army” that was organised by a radical Hindu outfit here last Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Mangalore district M. Maheshwar Rao told The Hindu.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti had called on all ‘true followers of Hinduism’ to join it and form an “army” called Dharma Shakti Sena. Dressed in camouflage uniforms and wearing tilaks on their foreheads, the “army” cadres frisked people.

The district administration was not contacted for permission, Mr. Rao said. “We did not see it as an election-related event, so we did not interfere.” In 2007, the District Magisterial office proposed certain reasonable restrictions to the right of assembly given the “nature of the district.”

Superintendent of Police N. Sathish Kumar told The Hindu that tapes of the event were being reviewed. “Law will take its course,” he said.

Over 2,000 people, including N. Yogish Bhat, BJP candidate for the coming Assembly election from Mangalore South, and Vishwesha Teertha, head of the Pejawar Math, attended the event. The venue was cordoned off.
Posters

There were posters of victims of terrorist attacks that called upon people to take up arms against terrorism at the venue.

Addressing the gathering, Mohan Gowda said the government was adopting a ‘soft’ stance towards the minorities. Earlier, journalists were forced by the Sena cadres to wear tilaks on their foreheads at the entrance. However, the organisers relented following protests from the journalists whose identity cards were checked.