Bangalore: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Thursday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ban outfits such as Bajrang Dal and Sri Rama Sene in the backdrop of attack on lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan.
The JDS supremo recalled that he staged a dharna on September 23, 2008, in front of Mahatma Gandhi`s samadhi at Rajghat in Delhi, along with representatives of minority communities, in the wake of serial attacks on Christians and churches in Karnataka following the assumption of office by BJP government. "At that time, I had written a detailed letter to your good self requesting for a ban on outfits such as Bajrang Dal and Sri Rama Sene", Gowda told a press conference, where he released the letter that wrote to Singh dated today.
"I wish to reiterate that such groups pose a serious threat to India`s secular fabric, unity and integrity and democratic system and hence should be outlawed at the earliest", he said. "The Union Home Ministry should carry out a thorough review of personal security keeping in view the fact that many high profile leaders of such communal outfits have been provided the highest possible security cover while individuals involved in exposing their misdeeds are often unprotected, or under protected", Gowda said in his letter.
He said the entire nation was shocked and saddened to see television images of Bhushan being beaten up mercilessly by goons, adding, the attack on the lawer-activist, who has sacrificed immensely for the cause of the society and the nation, is an act of cowardice, which all right thinking people should condemn in the strongest possible terms.
Two youths, who escaped after attacking Bhushan, were arrested in Delhi on Thursday. Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga and Vishnu Verma were apprehended from a place near Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Bagga yesterday said that he would surrender in a local court. One Inder Verma, who claimed to be the Delhi president of Sri Ram Sene, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the incident.