Mangaluru Police Commissioner Rejects Allegations, Says Patriotism Cannot Shield Unlawful Acts
Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy on Tuesday responded strongly to allegations raised by ABVP and BJP leaders that police personnel had assaulted students for chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and pressured them to furnish bonds for taking part in a protest.
In an official statement, the Commissioner said that while every police officer takes an oath to protect the nation and uphold the law, patriotism cannot be used as a shield for unlawful conduct. He stressed that slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” cannot be invoked to justify disorder or mislead the public.
“Shouting patriotic slogans to conceal wrongdoing or divert public attention does not amount to respect for the country,” Reddy said, making it clear that the police would not tolerate illegal activity under the guise of nationalism.
Reddy clarified that the police had not banned the protest, but had only imposed certain conditions to ensure peace and order at the venue. According to him, the students involved had neither sought prior permission for the demonstration nor formally informed the police before organizing it.
Despite the lack of permission, the police did not take strict action against the students, taking their interests into account, he said. However, the situation changed when individuals from outside the locality joined the protest, and the college management filed a complaint.
The Commissioner explained that, given the possibility of a breach of law and order, some persons were taken into custody as a precautionary step. He added that the police asked the individuals to furnish bonds, undertaking that they would not repeat such activities in the future.
Later, however, considering the students’ request and the need to protect their academic future, the police decided not to insist on obtaining bonds from anyone, Reddy said.
The statement comes amid political criticism over the handling of the protest, with opposition voices accusing the police of excesses. Reddy’s clarification aimed to counter those claims while asserting that maintaining law and order remained the police’s primary responsibility.