IGP-Led Anti-Communal Force Announced For Coast

Home Minister G Parameshwara announced on Saturday the creation of a special Anti-Communal Task Force for the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in response to a wave of recent communal unrest in coastal Karnataka.

Parameshwara further inform that the unit will only operate in these two districts in order to keep the peace and prevent intercommunal conflicts. At the Mangaluru City police commissioner’s office, After a meeting to review law and order, Parameshwara declared that the specialised force would model itself after the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), with whom it would also share resources and training.

“Those who encourage or facilitate intercommunal violence will face harsh consequences. A senior officer with the title of Inspector General of Police (IGP) will lead the force.Its operational framework, staffing levels, and organisational structure will soon be finalised. Other districts do not currently require such a force. We’ll think about it later if the circumstances call for it,” he stated.The action comes after growing intercommunal tensions in the coastal belt, which are frequently characterised by hate crimes, targeted violence, and moral policing. In order to guarantee prompt preventive action and a crackdown on hate speech, the proposed task force will work closely with the local police.

According to Parameshwara, the state is now considering reducing the size of the ANF and transferring its seasoned staff to the new unit because of the dramatic drop in incidents involving naxals in Karnataka. “In Karnataka, the majority of the Naxals gave up, and the fighting nearly stopped. ANF won’t be completely disbanded, though. They will include the officers and trained personnel in the new anti-communal task force,” he said. The minister stated that the previous Anti-Communal Wing, which dealt with moral policing cases, was not an independent entity when questioned about it.”It was merely a wing operated by the current police force rather than a specialised task force,” he asserted.

“The government has made the decision to use the new force to combat those responsible for communal riots. Peace will not be disturbed by evil forces. Regardless of their community or religion, those who commit acts of communal violence will be subject to severe consequences. It is imperative that such incidents never happen again for the sake of the state and the country. We will do everything within the bounds of the law. Our objective is to maintain peace along the coast,” stated Home Minister G Parameshwara.