Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 20: The state government, on Wednesday February 19, strongly backed the police on the floor of the assembly relating to firing during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act disturbances at Mangaluru on December 19. The government stated that imposition of prohibitory orders and other actions of the police were in tune with the demands of the sensitive situation prevailing in the district.

The state home minister did not succumb to the pressure brought by the opposition to entrust the case for judicial probe. Home minister Basavaraj Bommai, stood his ground and clearly said that this demand cannot be complied with and magisterial inquiry is on into the incident.

Basavaraj Bommai

Saying that the response of the home minister had not satisfied them, Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition, led his party members out of the session and boycotted the proceedings.

Bommai said that when disturbances happened in Mangaluru, many from Kerala were present in that city. He said that location of 1,300 mobile phones of Kerala origin was detected at Mangaluru on that day. "We are not saying that all of them had come for creating disturbances. We have issued notices to 373 among them seeking clarification why they were at Mangaluru that day," he stated.

"The crowd had assembled to stage protest even though prohibitory orders were in force. The protesters were in thousands. Even after the police requested them to disperse, till 1.30 pm, the crowd had not dispersed. They pelted stones, and tossed petrol bombs. A crowd also tried to barge into a police station. Effort was also made to raid a gun shop. In this background, the police had to fire to control the mob. Firing was resorted to only after stone pelting incident," Bommai said. He also said that the disturbances at Mangaluru were pre-conceived and various organizations had joined hands there. He said those involved have connections even in Saudi Arabia and other countries and they get financial assistance from abroad. He said that he had received threat from Saudi Arabia and that even the chief minister had received threat call.

Siddaramaiah insisted that the government and police department should own responsibility for the incident in which two innocent Muslims lost their lives. He demanded judicial inquiry by a commission of inquiry headed by a sitting judge.

Kota Srinivas Poojary pointed out that people had covered their faces with clothes when pelting stones towards the police.

The home minister also justified the action in registering case against several people including headmaster and students of Shaheen educational institution at Bidar, duly adding that the case was registered in the basis of Supreme Court verdict. "It is our duty to register case when complaint is received. If there is any anomaly, the same will be rectified," he stated.

The assembly also discussed the matter of bail granted by the high court to 21 accused relating to the disturbances. Seeing that the discussions were going off the track, the assembly speaker, Vishweshar Hegde Kageri, brought an end to discussions on the issue.