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Adivasi committee protests arrest of student over alleged Naxal-link

March 15, 2012
Mangalore, March 15: The co-ordination committee for the rights of Adivasis on Thursday staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office and voiced their resentment over the arrest of Vittala Malekudiya, a journalism student of Mangalore University.

Vittala was taken into custody for allegedly supporting the Naxal activities in Belthangady area. Police are claiming that a book of Bhagath Singh was found with Vittala which they say he used to spread naxalism. The police custody of Vittala was extended by five more days by the Belthangady court on Wwednesday.

Vittala was arrested over a week ago after he had gone to visit his father, who had earlier been taken into custody by the police.

Speaking on the occasion, B Madhava, secretary DK District unit of CPI(M) said, the arrest of the student was a ploy to diver the attention of the people at a time when the ruling BJP was reeling under scams.

“Possessing a book on Bhagath Singh cannot be construed as Vittala was supportive of Naxals. The arrest raises a question mark about whether democracy was still alive,” he said.

Denouncing the arrest, B M Bhat, president of Dakshina Kannada District Beedi Worker's Association ridiculed the police for making paper clippings of various newspapers like Udayavani, Prajavani, Vijaya Karnataka a basis for suspecting Vittala's link with Naxals. “This kind of atrocities must stop immediately. By merely keeping books of freedom fighters one does not become a naxal,” he said.

The protesters also expressed outrage on police atrocities committed on Vittala's father Lingappa Malekudiya. “About two months ago the Anti-Naxal Force killed their own personnel and tried to hoodwink people. Now they have come up with stories about Vittala, Mr. Bhat said.

The Adivasi Samanvaya Samiti demanded immediate release of Vittala to safeguard his future.

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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