BENGALURU: In a major embarrassment to the State government, members of the ruling BJP’s student wing Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) stormed Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s official residence in Bengaluru on Saturday. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. The activists were protesting against the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru.
The security breach at the home minister’s residence in the state capital has exposed the chinks in the intelligence gathering system and the government came under fire from the Opposition Congress which has demanded Jnanendra’s resignation.
Tension gripped areas around Jayamahal Road where the home minister’s residence is located after a group of around 40 ABVP members breached the security. The agitators were holding placards which read, ‘We gave our time, but you didn’t give yours,’ and ‘Vidhana Soudha will be shaken if the students raise their voice.’Five police personnel present at Jnanendra’s residence told the ABVP protesters that the minister was not available to meet them as he was in Shivamogga on Saturday.
City police chief admits intel failure
But the angry protesters gate-crashed and one of them jumped inside. When the policemen went to catch him, the group forced their way inside the compound and started raising slogans. They were demanding a ban on organisations like Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI).
High drama prevailed for over 15 minutes as the protesters started arguing with the policemen. Some of them were taken into preventive custody. The police filed an FIR against 30 ABVP members on charges of trespassing, causing mischief and damaging public property.
City Police Commissioner C H Pratap Reddy admitted to intelligence failure. “The ABVP members had come for a silent protest and to submit a memorandum. Instead, they barged into the minister’s house by pushing police personnel and forcibly opening the gates. Most of them were detained immediately and the situation was brought under control. The intelligence department should have gathered some information but that was not done,” he said.
Meanwhile, all Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) across Bengaluru have been instructed to tighten security at the residences of ministers and BJP MLAs. After the incident, Jnanendra said he would invite ABVP members for talks and listen to them. “I understand their sentiments. ABVP members went to my residence when I was not there and expressed their feelings,” the minister said.