Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 29: A meeting of the Congress party's minority cell in Mangaluru turned chaotic on the afternoon of May 29, as tensions flared over the decision to initiate mass resignations in protest against the state government's handling of recent incidents in Dakshina Kannada district.

The meeting, held to discuss the growing dissent, saw a large turnout of active Congress workers and was attended by Dakshina Kannada District Minority Cell president Sahul Hameed.

In his address, Hameed voiced deep disappointment over the current state of affairs in the district. He revealed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had personally contacted him, urging him to refrain from resigning and to allow a one-week period for the government to act on their concerns.

However, suspicions arose among the gathered party workers that Hameed might retract his decision. Tensions escalated as workers began raising slogans and demanding immediate resignation, plunging the meeting into chaos.

Despite efforts by minority cell leaders to pacify the crowd, the agitated attendees remained adamant, insisting on mass resignation as a form of protest. Calls for justice and decisive action reverberated through the gathering.

Clarifying his position, Sahul Hameed stated, “We are not stepping back from our decision of resignation,” and formally announced his resignation as president of the Congress district minority cell.

Following his lead, Congress leaders Abdul Rauf and M S Mohammed also tendered their resignations and joined the call for a mass resignation movement.

This development comes amid a backdrop of communal tensions and a series of violent incidents, including alleged communal murders in Dakshina Kannada. The perceived inaction of the state government, despite repeated appeals from community leaders, has fuelled discontent and appears to have triggered a broader crisis within the party's minority wing.