Communal tensions in coastal Karnataka a major blow to region: DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 30 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Friday that the recent communal violence in the coastal Karnataka region had delivered a big blow to the region, warning that it could result in significant losses for both the area and the state.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha and Palace Grounds, Shivakumar said, "We have taken steps to protect all sections of society. In addition to the official report, a team from the Party has also been sent to interact with the public and submit a report. We want peace to be restored in the region."
He was referring to the recent incident in the Dakshina Kannada district, where a pickup driver was hacked to death in the Kolthamajal, Addoor area of Mangaluru.
"This is not just about one or two deaths; the communal tension is a big blow to the region. It is important to understand that the people are anxious and the businesses are hesitant to invest in the region. I appeal to the BJP and other organisations to realise the gravity of the situation," he added.
When asked why the situation remained volatile even after officials were transferred from Dakshina Kannada, Shivakumar said, "We are trying to control the situation. BJP and other organisations are trying to provoke on communal lines. The people of the region need to understand that they will eventually be affected. Youth are already migrating to other regions for employment."
On complaints about officials allegedly not responding to locals, he added, "Our government has taken this seriously. Officials will have to respond."
Earlier in the day, Karnataka cabinet minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao, also hit out at what he called "vested interests" turning the region into a "communal experiment" and informed about the formation of a "Communal Violence Prevention Force."
"Some vested interests, who have turned the D. Kannada district into a communal experiment school, are cooking their own rice by disturbing the peace of the district. The Communal Violence Suppression Task Force has been formed with the firm stance that such vested interests should be uprooted," Rao said in a post on X.
He also criticised BJP leaders for "doing politics in the name of religion," calling them the "real enemies who are robbing the peace of Dakshina Kannada."
His post read, "If BJP leaders stop playing politics of the grave, D Kannada district will naturally become a place of peace. But the BJP, who are doing politics by filling the people with the opium of religion, are the real enemies who are robbing the peace of D.Kannada district. People should understand this."