Justice B. K. Somashekara Commission is a failure, says Poojary

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 29: Strongly criticizing the final report of the commission appointed to investigate the church attacks of 2008, B. Janardhan Poojary, the former minister, said that the report is a “failure.”

The newly-elected BJP government, which was facing its first major crisis, had appointed former judge B. K. Somashekara to investigate the church attacks of 2008, he said, adding that the result of the investigation conducted by the commission is a failure.

Churches were attacked in different parts of Karnataka such as Mangalore, Chickaballapur, Udupi, Davanagere, Bellary, and Bangalore, he said. Idols were destroyed, priests were attacked, and the entire world witnessed the activities of the Sangh Parivar, which was definitely involved in these attacks, through various television news channels, he said, adding that the commission has failed to consider this.

The people had urged for a CBI investigation at that time and even today, the people urge for a CBI investigation, instead the government has assigned the Padmaraj Commission, which will give the same verdict, he predicted.

Even Mahendra Kumar, who had publicly accepted that he was involved in the attack, has gone scot free, proving that the commission was of no use, said Poojary, added that the government must appoint a working justice, and not a retired justice, for the commission.

Warning that the Congress will stage protests if the culprits are left unpunished, he urged the central government to dissolve the state government.

Congress leaders Kallige Tharnath Shetty, M. G. Hegde, Harikrishna Bantwal, and Arun Coelho were also present.