BENGALURU: A day after four people were injured after stones were thrown at an Eid Milad procession in Shivamogga city, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday came down heavily on the miscreants and said his government will not tolerate acts which disrupt communal harmony.
Siddaramaiah said the government took immediate action after it saw anti-social elements stoning even police personnel who were on bandobast duty.
“Eventually, police had to resort to lathicharge,” Siddaramaiah said. “Some 43 miscreants who were responsible for the riots have been arrested and cases have been filed. Harassment and stone pelting at any religious event will not be tolerated by this government.”
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar spoke in the same vein, insisting that there is no room for such communal acts. “We will take stringent action as per law against the perpetrators,” Shivakumar said. “Some people make provocative statements and others then pelt stones. We intend to ensure Karnataka is an oasis of peace.”
In Raichur, minor irrigation minister NS Boseraju condemned the violence and said the government respects all religions, but peace is possible only with the cooperation of all.
Law & order situation
Earlier on Monday, BJP accused the government of being lax which led to “a law and order situation”.
“Such situations have occurred repeatedly in Shivamogga, which is a communally sensitive city. The government should have taken pre-emptive measures. It failed to ensure law and order,” said former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Bommai more or less suggested that the “transfer business” was to blame. He said the government had transferred police personnel in three police stations in whose jurisdictions “repeated communal incidents” have occurred.
“Efficient officers must be considered while transferring personnel to these police stations,” he said. “If officials were transferred for selfish reasons, they would indulge in other activities rather than maintain law and order. Such transfers would not have happened without somebody’s influence.”
In Mangaluru, state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel alleged communal forces were behind the violence. He alleged shops and houses of Hindus were looted and attacked, and communal forces have become active after Congress came to the helm in the state.
Kateel claimed the NIA investigation into the murder of Praveen Nettaru, a BJP worker, revealed terror activities in Thirthahalli in Shivamogga and a “communal group” that calls itself “Thirthahalli Brothers” is active. He also accused home minister G Parameshwara of failing in his duties.
“Chief minister Siddaramaiah is unable to contain terror activities due to vote bank politics. The previous BJP government had taken stern action through the NIA after the murders of BJP workers Nettaru and Harsha [Bajrang Dal activist],” Kateel said.
Senior BJP functionaries from Shivamogga including MP BY Raghavendra, former minister KS Eshwarappa and MLA SN Channabasappa said the attack was “preplanned”. Eshwarappa visited McGann Hospital and spoke to those who were injured. He blamed the police department and district administration for the violence. “Muslim youths brandished lethal weapons during the procession,” he said. He said miscreants wearing masks targeted houses of Hindus and even the Shivamogga SP.
Siddaramaiah said the government took immediate action after it saw anti-social elements stoning even police personnel who were on bandobast duty.
“Eventually, police had to resort to lathicharge,” Siddaramaiah said. “Some 43 miscreants who were responsible for the riots have been arrested and cases have been filed. Harassment and stone pelting at any religious event will not be tolerated by this government.”
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar spoke in the same vein, insisting that there is no room for such communal acts. “We will take stringent action as per law against the perpetrators,” Shivakumar said. “Some people make provocative statements and others then pelt stones. We intend to ensure Karnataka is an oasis of peace.”
In Raichur, minor irrigation minister NS Boseraju condemned the violence and said the government respects all religions, but peace is possible only with the cooperation of all.
Law & order situation
Earlier on Monday, BJP accused the government of being lax which led to “a law and order situation”.
“Such situations have occurred repeatedly in Shivamogga, which is a communally sensitive city. The government should have taken pre-emptive measures. It failed to ensure law and order,” said former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Bommai more or less suggested that the “transfer business” was to blame. He said the government had transferred police personnel in three police stations in whose jurisdictions “repeated communal incidents” have occurred.
“Efficient officers must be considered while transferring personnel to these police stations,” he said. “If officials were transferred for selfish reasons, they would indulge in other activities rather than maintain law and order. Such transfers would not have happened without somebody’s influence.”
In Mangaluru, state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel alleged communal forces were behind the violence. He alleged shops and houses of Hindus were looted and attacked, and communal forces have become active after Congress came to the helm in the state.
Kateel claimed the NIA investigation into the murder of Praveen Nettaru, a BJP worker, revealed terror activities in Thirthahalli in Shivamogga and a “communal group” that calls itself “Thirthahalli Brothers” is active. He also accused home minister G Parameshwara of failing in his duties.
“Chief minister Siddaramaiah is unable to contain terror activities due to vote bank politics. The previous BJP government had taken stern action through the NIA after the murders of BJP workers Nettaru and Harsha [Bajrang Dal activist],” Kateel said.
Senior BJP functionaries from Shivamogga including MP BY Raghavendra, former minister KS Eshwarappa and MLA SN Channabasappa said the attack was “preplanned”. Eshwarappa visited McGann Hospital and spoke to those who were injured. He blamed the police department and district administration for the violence. “Muslim youths brandished lethal weapons during the procession,” he said. He said miscreants wearing masks targeted houses of Hindus and even the Shivamogga SP.
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