The resignations come in protest against the government’s inaction on rising violence in Dakshina Kannada
BENGALURU/NEW DELHI – A wave of resignations has hit the Karnataka Congress, as several Muslim leaders stepped down from their posts on Thursday, blaming the state government for its failure to prevent rising communal violence. This move comes in the wake of the brutal killing of Abdul Rahman, a Muslim daily wage worker, in Bantwal near Mangalore earlier this week.
Among those who resigned are Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary MS Mohammed and Dakshina Kannada district minority wing president KK Shahul Hameed. They were joined by many local leaders, including district and booth-level functionaries.
The leaders announced their resignations during an emergency meeting held in Mangaluru’s Bolara locality. According to reports, the decision came after pressure from party workers who were angry and heartbroken over what they called a “clear pattern” of targeted violence against Muslims.
Speaking at the meeting, KK Shahul Hameed said, “We waited for the government to respond. We had faith. But our people are dying, and we are being told to wait. How long should we wait?”
He added that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier asked community leaders not to take hasty decisions and assured them that the matter had been raised with the party high command. But the workers refused to be pacified.
One of the leaders, who did not wish to be named, said, “Our families are questioning our loyalty to the Congress. We are being murdered in broad daylight, and no one is safe.”
Abdul Rahman was murdered on Tuesday while unloading sand near a customer’s house. His companion, Kalandar Shafi, was seriously injured in the attack. Police later arrested three youths – 21-year-old Deepak Pujari, 21-year-old Prithviraj, and 19-year-old Cheranthan – in connection with the killing. The motive is still unclear.
The region has seen several murders in recent weeks. On April 27, a 36-year-old man named Ashraf from Kerala was reportedly beaten to death for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans during a cricket match in Mangalore. This claim remains disputed, with many local Muslims saying Ashraf was falsely accused and lynched without evidence.
On May 11, Hindutva activist Sahas Shetty was killed. Police arrested 11 people for his murder. It later came to light that Shetty had five cases against him and was the main accused in the 2022 killing of Mohammad Fazil in Suratkal.
A Muslim journalist from Mangalore, who did not want to be named, said, “When Muslims are killed, the police either remain silent or delay action. But when a Hindutva worker dies, arrests are immediate, and entire areas are raided. This is not justice.”
Many in the Muslim community say they voted for the Congress, hoping for peace and safety. But they now feel let down.
MS Mohammed, who resigned as KPCC general secretary, said, “We stood by Congress even when it was weak. We worked hard to bring it back to power. But look at what is happening now. Our people are being hunted, and we are being asked to keep quiet.”
He added, “The BJP and Sangh Parivar are openly targeting Muslims. But the Congress, instead of protecting us, is busy doing damage control.”
Several community members have questioned why Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara have not visited the families of those killed.
Shabeer Ahmed, a local leader from Bantwal, said, “Forget justice. They did not even offer words of sympathy. Are Muslim lives so cheap?”
Meanwhile, Muslim social organisations in the area are planning to launch a protest against the rising violence. Some leaders have also called for a statewide bandh if justice is not served in the coming days.
There is a growing fear among Muslims in Karnataka that the situation in Dakshina Kannada is being ignored purposely.
“If three murders had taken place in a Brahmin locality, the entire state machinery would be here,” said Hameed. “But because it is Muslims, they expect us to forget and move on.”
The resignations have created a serious challenge for the Congress government, which is already facing criticism from within for its soft handling of communal cases.
A Muslim youth leader from Mangalore summed it up in one sentence: “We gave them votes, but they gave us graves.”
