Former minister charged for inflammatory speech in Udupi

Police have filed a case against former minister Pramod Madhwaraj in Udupi for making a provocative speech during a protest. The protest occurred at Malpe fishing harbour in response to the arrest of five fishermen accused of assaulting a Dalit woman over theft allegations. The case against Madhwaraj comes after he allegedly justified the assault by questioning the method used in the attack and suggesting that thieves should face consequences. His comments have caused public outrage. The police are taking the matter seriously and have registered the case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The five fishermen arrested have been placed in judicial custody for 14 days. During the protest, participants demanded that the charges against them be dropped. They also threatened to escalate their agitation if their demands were not met. Local leaders, including Udupi Block Congress president Ramesh Kanchan, emphasized that the fishermen did not know the woman's caste and called for fair treatment. Meanwhile, Dayanand Suvarna, president of the Malpe fishermen’s association, rejected claims of discrimination. He stressed that security issues at the harbour are more pressing and should be addressed by authorities.