File photo of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) Karnataka unit president Abdul Majeed (centre).
The Karnataka government should act firmly against moral policing forces that deprive the youth of their right to move freely, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) State President Abdul Majeed told reporters in Mangaluru on December 21.
Mr. Majeed said fundamentalist forces are open to threatening youths against talking to people of the opposite sex from another community. “These threats are being made freely, which shows that the State Government has not effectively countered these forces. In the absence of effective action, incidents of moral policing will lead to law and order problems in Dakshina Kannada,” Mr. Majeed said.
SDPI opposes both Hindutva groups and Muslim groups engaged in ‘moral policing’. The government and the opposition parties should discuss the issue of moral policing that has escalated in Dakshina Kannada district in recent days and ways to deal with it effectively.
On the threat by Hindutva groups to Muslim youths to participate in New Year celebrations, Mr. Majeed said the police should take note of such threats and take preventive measures against people who are trying to take the law into their hands.
Mr. Majeed said SDPI has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging the recent action of the State Government to close 20 SDPI offices in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
The party will announce its first list of candidates for 100 Assembly constituencies for the upcoming elections in Karnataka on January 7. Majeed is a ticket candidate and his name has been proposed by district party units for Bantwal, Ullal and Narasimharaja Assembly constituencies.