more-in Alleging that the Sangh Parivar was behind the recent communal clashes and communally-related murders in Bantwal taluk B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of the district, said here on Tuesday that the police should arrest the conspirators behind these clashes and murders. Addressing reporters, the Minister alleged that the Sangh Parivar was responsible for the murders of the vice-president of Karopady Gram Panchayat near Vitla on April 20 and an activist of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) at Benjanapadavu, on the outskirts of the city, on June 21. Mr. Rai, who is also the Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology, alleged that the Sangh Parivar was also behind the communal clashes in Kalladka on May 26 and June 13. Taking on RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, the Minister said that Bharat, one of the prime accused in the murder of the SDPI activist, was found with Mr. Bhat at a press conference in the city on May 28. It proved that those behind the murder of the activist had identified with Sangh Pariwar leaders. If the conspiracy of those leaders was proved, they should be punished. The Minister said that he had brought this to the notice of the Chief Minister and State police chief. He was in touch with them on the developments. He alleged that provoking speeches by leaders of communal organisations were responsible for the communal clashes in the district. Mr. Rai said that the communal clashes and murders in Dakshina Kannada could be controlled only if the conspirators were put behind bars. Harmony would prevail in the district only if the conspirators, “however prominent they might be,” were arrested. However, the Minister said that he would instruct the police to take action against the conspirators. Claiming that his secular credentials were intact, the Minister said that he had never made any provocative speech. “I am clean,” he said. Mr. Rai said that communal organisations from majority and minority communities criticising him and targeting him for the recent incidents itself proved that he was secular.

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