Bengaluru violence: Congress demands judicial probe by a sitting HC judge
Bengaluru: The Congress' Karnataka unit's fact-finding committee, set up to delve into the violence in parts of the city earlier this week, on Saturday termed the incident as an absolute failure on part of the home department and police, and sought a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge.
The committee also questioned the basis on which some Ministers in the government are making statements that internal rift within the Congress, led to the incident.
"What was the government and police doing? Don't you have intelligence department?" former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who is the head of the committee, said. Speaking to reporters here, he claimed it was the absolute failure on part of the Home department and the police that led to the incident.
"Government has said district magistrate will inquire into the incident, but I demand a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge. The Chief Minister should immediately order for it," he added.
The state government has appointed Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner G N Shivamurthy to undertake magisterial inquiry into the violence.
The violence in D J Halli and adjoining areas on Tuesday night was unleashed by hundreds of people over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy.
The MLA's residence and a police station at D J Halli were torched by rioters who also set many police and private vehicles afire, and looted the belongings of the legislator and his sister.
A day after the incident state Congress had constituted a six-member fact-finding committee headed by Parameshwara, also a former home minister, to delve into what led to the violence.
The committee has other former home ministers Ramalinga Reddy, K J George, former minister Krishna Byre Gowda, MLC's B K Hariprasad and Naseer Ahmed as members.
Asking the government to investigate what led to the incident and punish the guilty, Parameshwara said blaming the Congress, and Ministers giving statements that infighting within the party led to the incident is not right.
"On what basis they are saying it? have they got the inquiry report? Investigate and punish the guilty, we are the last people to protect those who burnt MLA's house and police stations.
Ministers should have restraint and not issue such statements, when investigation is on," he said.
Only guilty have to be punished, but people in the locality are saying that young boys have been arrested, he said, adding that "innocents should not troubled."
K J Goerge, another member of the committee, said those in the government who failed to give protection and maintain law and order, are today blaming the Congress.
"If they are not able to send police reinforcement on time in Bengaluru, what will happen in other parts of the state?" he questioned.
Stating that the Congress is with its MLA Murthy and will fight to ensure justice to him, Parameshwara said the committee has visited the incident spots, met officials, local leaders and gathered information.
After collecting more information, a report will be submitted to KPCC president, the Congress leader said.
Regarding alleged SDPI role and the government's plans to ban it, he said there is a procedure to ban any organisations like SDPI which is a political party and enough proof is required and a recommendation has to be sent to the Centre.
"Let the BJP government prove their involvement and take action." Murthy, who was also at the press conference, said in response to a question that he and his family has not yet got any extra protection from the government other than a gunman, they have promised to provide.
KPCC President Shivakumar urged the Chief Minister to provide security to Murthy and his family.
"Days since the attack on our MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, BJP Govt is yet to give him police security. This shows the careless & conspiratorial attitude the state govt has towards this incident.
I urge CM @BSYBJP to immediately provide security to him and his family members," Shivakumar tweeted.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
