Alleging that the violence in the Ragi Gudda locality of Shivamogga was pre-planned against Hindu families, Bharatiya Janata Party State president Nalin Kumar Kateel has demanded a judicial probe into the incidents.
Mr. Kateel spoke to journalists after visiting the trouble-hit localities along with other leaders of the party on Thursday.
“The accused attacked Hindu houses. Women were assaulted. There were a few Christians who suffered from the attack. However, there was not a single Muslim family that was attacked. This shows the incidents were pre-planned and targeted at Hindus”, he said.
The police had failed to avoid the incidents. The accused had thrown stones at the police as well. “During the Ganesha procession held on September 28, there were no incidents of violence. It was peaceful. However, the police failed to act on the objectionable posters that Muslim people displayed ahead of the Id Milad procession”, he alleged.
Blaming the Congress government for the incidents, Mr. Kateel said that during his first tenure as CM, Mr. Siddaramaiah celebrated Tipu’s birth anniversary. “This time, he has brought in Aurangazeb. There were posters of Aurangazeb in the Id Milad celebrations”, he remarked.
Instead of punishing the accused, the police booked cases against those injured in the incidents. “The injured have been arrested by the police. The government should hold a judicial probe to bring out the truth about the incidents”, he said.
Earlier, Mr. Kateel, Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra, former ministers Dr. C.N. Ashwathanarayana, Araga Jnanendra, K.S. Eshwarappa, and other leaders visited Ragi Gudda and interacted with the residents. The locals narrated the incidents that happened during the Id Milad procession. They alleged that the accused targeted houses and vehicles that belonged to people of one particular community.
A retired teacher said that his house’s window panes, and car had been damaged. “We have been living in the locality for many years. My wife, who is also a retired teacher, taught many students in Urdu schools. Unfortunately, a majority of those students who attacked the house were her students in the past”, he said.
The BJP leaders also visited McGann Hospital, where the injured are undergoing treatment.
