BENGALURU: Video footage showing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters allegedly throwing stones at policemen in Mangaluru, has triggered a political slugfest between leaders of the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress and JDS leaders.
Congress leaders slammed the police and state government for their failure to handle the situation, while the BJP accused the Congress of instigating the protesters.“Most of the deaths during the anti-CAA protests occurred in BJP-ruled states. This shows that the state machinery was involved in the violence. When Bengaluru can handle over 1 lakh protesters without any untoward incident, why couldn’t Mangaluru police handle a few hundred protesters?” questioned Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao. He visited the victims’ families in Mangaluru on Tuesday, and handed over compensation cheques of Rs 2 lakh to each on behalf of the KPCC.
Terming police action “state-sponsored and planned”, Rao said the Congress will press for a judicial inquiry into the firing. “We want investigations by a sitting High Court judge. It seems that police were instructed to go ahead and shoot people. Statements from BJP leaders indicate that they were trying to target people from a particular community,” he said. Mangaluru MLA UT Khader, too, demanded a probe by a sitting judge.
JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy joined the Congress in questioning police action. “Mangaluru police released videos of vehicles bringing stones at the protest. Has police arrested anyone for that? Were the videos even from Mangaluru?” he questioned.
The BJP hit back, accusing Opposition leaders of instigating the violence. State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel said the “Kashmir-style attack” on police was proof that the arson was premeditated. He said ordinary protesters don’t attack the police, but in Mangaluru, CCTV footage shows that police were the target of the attack.
“The arsonists were carrying petrol bombs, stones and lathis, which proves that the violence was organised. In Kashmir, protesters first target the police,” Kateel said. “Khader had said the protest would lead to violence. The next day, violence broke out. So he had prior knowledge that arson was waiting to happen,” Kateel said. RDPR Minister KS Eshwarappa accused Congress of driving a wedge between Hindus and Muslims.