Manjula under BJP influence?

Is Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson

Manjula C deflecting attention from the attack on women students at homestay

here to the antecedents of male party-goers following directions from the RSS

and the BJP bosses?In an hour-long media briefing on Thursday, she took no

stand against the attackers. It is said that Manjula is toeing the line of the

RSS and the BJP bosses. Inspecting the rooms at Morning Mist homestay on

Wednesday, Manjula wondered why there was no trace ofbirthday celebration. “She was probably expecting buntings

and festoons in each room,” said a senior police official accompanying her.At Thursday’s press meet, she took pains to highlight that

the girls had only made oral complaints to the police and the attack was

carried out by youth residing within two km of the homestay.Reporters corrected her by pointing out that most of the

vigilantes were from Vamanjoor, Bajpe and Thokkatu on the periphery of the

city. Then, she wondered why the police had not filed cases

against the homestay owner. She stated that the mother of one of the

party-goers, Gurudatt, ran a massage parlour in Urva Chilimbi, and was arrested

for immoral trafficking. The case was disposed of in court due to lack of

witnesses, she said.“The witnesses in the case must testify in court to ensure

that the accused don’t go scot-free,” she said, without elaborating on steps to

be taken to ensure the safety of the women witnesses.When reporters wanted to know her stand vis-a-vis the

vigilantes, she said they must be arrested under the Goonda Act. However, she

rebuked reporters when asked whether the commission was taking orders from the

BJP.Meanwhile, it is reported that Manjula’s report on the

attack would be submitted to the Chief Minister, home minister and chief

justice on Saturday. The report would be recommended for a high-level impartial

probe preferably by the CBI.