MYSURU: Union Minister for Steel and JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy on Friday alleged that the ruling Congress is behind violence in Nagamangala in Mandya district with an eye on the upcoming Assembly by-election in Channapatna.
He lambasted the State Government, saying the failure of the police department led to communal violence during the Ganesha idol immersion procession.
He alleged that Congress sponsored the latest violence, like it did in the 1990s in Ramanagara and Channapatna to force the then chief minister Veerendra Patil to resign.
After visiting the riot-hit town, he said it is similar to violence in DJ Halli in Bengaluru, where massive destruction was caused within minutes and shops were torched.
Holding up the FIR copy, he said there were too many flaws in the police document and blamed the police for inefficiency. He alleged that the inspector and DySP were not at the spot when violence broke out. “Where were these officers? Why were the reserve police moved to some other area,” he asked.
He wondered how miscreants got hold of stones, iron rods and petrol bombs within ten minutes, and suspected a larger conspiracy behind the incident.
Kumarswamy said Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara played down the incident, maintaining that it was a minor scuffle, while violence raged in the town.
While the police gave permission for the procession, they failed to protect those taking part in the event, he added. The police were unaware of the trouble, even as media persons were reporting from the spot, he said.
He said people from both religions in the town have lived harmoniously and Congressmen should not vitiate the atmosphere for political gains. “I demand a high-level probe to reveal the lapses committed by the police and dig out the hidden agenda behind the violence,” he said.
Terming the suspension of Police Inspector Ashok Kumar a mere eyewash, he criticised the police for allowing youth in the procession to dance in front of the town mosque for over 10 minutes.
Kumaraswamy handed over relief material to the affected people and urged the government to assess the loss and pay at least 70 per cent of the actual loss as many have lost their livelihoods.
BJP 5-MEMBER FACT-FINDING PANEL TO VISIT RIOT-HIT TOWN
The Karnataka BJP has constituted a fact-finding committee of five members on the Nagamangala communal clash. The panel is likely to submit a report within a week.
State BJP chief BY Vijayendra has constituted a five-member committee comprising Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Byrathi Basavaraj, KC Narayana Gowda, state secretary Lakshmi Ashwini Gowda and former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao.
The team will visit the spot and submit a comprehensive report within a week,’’ Vijayendra said. Meanwhile, BJP MLC and leader N Ravikumar demanded that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot intervene in this case, alleging that the government is trying to curtail the majority community.
“We have already constituted a committee. Our leaders Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka visited the spot on Thursday. There has been injustice to Hindus,’’ he said.
Ravikumar also questioned how petrol bombs and stones came inside a place of worship, and alleged that “the state government has made only one community as accused, whereas stones were thrown by the other community. The state government is shameless”.
