| from special correspondent
with inputs from Avinash Ujire in Beltangady
New Delhi: Palakkad (Palghat) MP M B Rajesh from Kerala raised a question during the zero hour of the parliament on Friday, May 4 as to the grounds on which Vittala Malekudiya was arrested .
Vittala Malekudiya, a journalism student at Mangalore University was arrested with his father Linganna on March 2, alleging that they were aiding the Naxals. Rajesh explained that Vittala was not a Naxal, but an active member of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), of which he was an office-bearer.
Anti-Naxal Force entered the house of Vittala on March 2, and assaulted Linganna, which resulted in a fracture of his leg. He criticized the ANF for the atrocities it committed on the tribal Malekudiyas of the region.
He said that Vittala was allowed to appear for his examinations after a court order. But, he was handcuffed and bought into the exam hall. This is a breach of human rights, he said.
He added that ANF had violated the Forests Act and urged the government to investigate the accusations aimed at Vittala and his father.
Rajesh was in Mangalore recently and addressed a media meet. He also also visited the Naxal-affected areas and met the Malekudiya families. Those present during the visit informed our correspondent that there were intelligence personnel present there, but surprisingly, although an MP from another state, there was no official escort, esp. while visiting the Naxal-affected areas.
It can be noted that none of the MP's from Karnataka has ever raised the issue in the parliament. When Mangalorean.com spoke to Rajesh on Saturday, May 5, he was on his way from Delhi to Varanasi. He confirmed his determination to pursue the matter.
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