Mangalore: Yeddyurappa questions government move on scrapping Somasekhara panel report

 

Mangalore, 18 Oct 2014: Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has questioned the rationale of the state government in rejecting the report of Justice B K Somasekhara Commission of Inquiry which probed attacks on churches in Karnataka in 2008. Terming it as "politics", Yeddyurappa, under whose leadership these attacks took place said Congress state government is needlessly trying to stoke passions with its belated decision to dump the panel’s report.

 

In an informal chat with media on the sidelines of a party function at Mulki, some 30-kms from here, Yedyyurappa said the state government is not interested in maintaining law and order and hence is creating fresh confusions each day with such decisions. "The then state government took all necessary steps to deal with the situation," he said, adding the Congress government is indulging in politics of opportunism with this decision.

 

In a related development, a delegation of Christian leaders met CM Siddaramaiah and conveyed their gratitude on behalf of entire Christian community for the bold decision taken by the state cabinet to reject the Somasekhara Inquiry Commission report. The delegation also welcomed CMs decision to direct the state home department to order a fresh inquiry based on the recommendations of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

 

Delegation also extended an invitation to CM to attend the main ceremony of canonisation of Blessed Fr Joseph Vaz scheduled to be held at Mudipu for three days from January 14, 2015. Ronald Colaco, chairman of International Federation of Karnataka Christian Associations (IFKCA) who led the delegation also requested Siddaramaiah to convert Karnataka Christian Development Committee into Karnataka Christian Development Board.

 

The delegation comprised minister U T Khader, Mangalore City South MLA J R Lobo who was the first one to raise voice in the assembly against the report, lawyer M P Noronha, who represented Christians in the inquiry commission report, Fr Gregory D’Souza, secretary of IFKCA, Michael Baptist, IFKCA state convenor, Prashanth Jathanna, president of Udupi unit of IFKCA, Joseph Lobo, convenor of Balehonnur unit of IFKCA among others.