Bengaluru violence: MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy demands CBI probe, seeks additional security
Bengaluru: Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, whose house was destroyed during last week's violence in the city, on Monday met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
The Congress legislator has also appealed for more security to him.
"Earlier the Chief Minister had spoken to me over the phone. Today I met him personally and sought more security. Many of my neighbours' properties including vehicles have been burnt or damaged. I requested compensation for them, most of them are poor," Murthy said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said the Chief Minister has assured him that security will be increased and those behind the violence punished, how much influential they are. "I have requested for CBI inquiry, he said he will look into" the MLA added.
In response to a question on his security, the MLA said, while security has been provided to his current residence, he personally hasn't got additional security other than two gunmen while outside, and has asked for it.
The violence in D J Halli and adjoining areas on August 11 night was unleashed by hundreds of people over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of MLA 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.
Murthy was accompanied to the Chief Minister's residence by BJP MLAs Arvind Limbavali and S Raghu.
In response to a question, Murthy said, Bovi community legislators and leaders had accompanied him. Amid speculation about him making any political shift, the MLA clarified he is in Congress and will continue in the party.
Asked about speculation that his opponent Prasanna Kumar who had contested against him on JD(S) ticket wanting to come back to the Congress party, Murthy said "I'm not aware of it. In Congress anyone comes or goes, it is left to the party president. I don't have any problem, there is no question about me quitting Congress. Congress is in my blood."
Murthy had joined the Congress from JD(S) ahead of the 2018 assembly polls and got a ticket from Pulakeshinagar, following which Kumar shifted to the JD(S).
According to reports, many local Congress workers are in favour of Prasanna Kumar returning to the party, as they prefer him over Murthy.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel visited the locality where the violence took place on August 11.
Kateel, who met Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai ahead of the visit, complimented the state government and police for containing the violence within a couple of hours and not allowing it to go out of control.
He said a team led by party legislator Arvind Limbavali, constituted by him, has submitted a report to him on the incident, and he was visiting the locality to assess the situation and build confidence among people there.
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.
