Uneasy calm in Surathkal town as cops keep hawk’s eye

MANGALURU: A palpable sense of unease hangs over Surathkal town and surrounding areas which had witnessed an undeclared bandh following Wednesday’s brutal murder of Bajrang Dal activist Deepak Rao.
Protests over the murder continued for the third day on Friday in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi with BJP and Sangh Parivar activists pouring out on to the streets in huge numbers demanding a ban on PFI and KFD, accusing them of being behind the murders of Hindu activists.

With the tension easing on Friday, the police decided to lift the prohibitory orders  and shops and commercial establishments opened up for business. Meanwhile, police security continues to be tight in the communal sensitive places of the district including Surathkal. Mangaluru Police Commissioner T R Suresh told The New Indian Express that the situation is under control but they are maintaining heightened vigil at some of the sensitive places.

Meanwhile, the condition of Basheer, who was stabbed on Wednesday night in what appears to be a retaliation to Deepak’s murder, continues to be critical. This, along with Siddaramaiah’s two-day tour of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts starting Sunday, has the police on their toes.