People from Kerala behind Mangaluru violence: Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai
New Delhi: People from neighbouring Kerala indulged in violence in Mangaluru during protests against the amended citizenship law, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed on Thursday.
He also warned that strict action will be taken against those involved in violence and spreading rumours.
"People who had come from Kerala to participate in the protest also tried to set fire to a police station in Mangaluru and damaged public property. To control the mob, police had to use force," Bommai told reporters here.
The protest march was held peacefully in most parts of Karnataka but there was violence in Mangaluru. Some of the people came from Kerala and they misled students and instigated violence, he alleged.
The home minister also said the state government will take action against anti-social elements.
The Karantaka government suspended mobile internet services for 48 hours in Mangaluru and Dakshina Kannada district after reports of violence.
Mobile Internet services have been suspended in the two places, a state Home Ministry order said.
It has been done because protesters are likely to use social media platforms for spreading rumours and also for transmission of information like pictures, videos and text that "have the potential to inflame passions and thus exacerbate the law and order situation", it said.
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BJP will form govt in Bengal with thumping majority: Nabin
Mirzapur (UP) (PTI): BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will form the government in West Bengal with a "thumping majority".
Polling is underway for 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, covering key districts, including Kolkata, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas.
The high-stakes contest is being seen as decisive for the ruling TMC's bid for a fourth consecutive term and the BJP's push to form its first government in the state. The first phase held on April 23 recorded a high voter turnout of over 93 per cent, reflecting intense electoral engagement.
Speaking to reporters in Mirzapur, Nabin said, "The BJP will form the government in Bengal. We are winning the elections with a massive majority."
Earlier in the day, the BJP chief visited the Vindhyavasini temple and offered prayers. The rituals were conducted by his priest Acharya Agastya Kumar Dwivedi.
On his first visit to the district after assuming office, Nabin was welcomed by party workers at several places. At the temple, he was received by city MLA Ratnakar Mishra and District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar, who felicitated him with a traditional 'angvastram'.
After offering prayers for about 10 minutes amid Vedic chants, Nabin held a meeting at a hotel with local MLAs, including Mishra, Majhwan MLA Suchismita Maurya and Madihan MLA Ramashankar Patel.
Patel said Nabin emphasised strengthening the organisation and asked public representatives to focus on serving people in their respective constituencies.
Several party leaders, including district president Lal Bahadur Saroj, district vice-president Gaurav Umar, municipal chairperson Shyam Sundar Kesari, women workers and senior officials, were present on the occasion.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the district administration for the visit, with multiple officers of circle officer rank deployed, officials said.
