Sensing a well planned conspiracy behind the Bengaluru riots, the Karnataka government is planning recover compensation for damages from rioters.
“Our government has decided to assess the damages caused to public and private property in the violent incidents in KG Halli & DG Halli and recover the costs from the culprits,” said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
The Chief Minister, who chaired a meeting with senior ministers and officials, said “We will approach Hon’ble High Court for appointment of Claim Commissioner as per Hon’ble Supreme Court order. Stringent action has been initiated against the culprits of DJ Halli and KG Halli violent incidents including invoking of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act – UAPA Act.”
Yediyurappa was briefed by the officers about a special investigation team that has already been formed to investigate the incident. A team of three special public prosecutors would be appointed for conducting the cases.
The invocation of Goondas Act will also be considered by the SIT in the cases wherever the provisions are attracted.
BJP, Congress spar
The ruling BJP, close on the heels of Congress party which visited troubled areas to assess the situation and damage caused in DJ Halli and KG Halli, too sent a team led by senior party leader Arvind Limbavali.
The BJP has taken the lead to build a narrative of Dalits being wronged by the minority community. “The information we have gathered indicates this is an internal strife within the Congress, a section of which colluded with the SDPI to target a Dalit leader,” said Limbavali.
He further said “It is sad that while a Dalit MLA has been targeted like this, Congress leaders are yet to condemn the incident in unequivocal terms, because of their minority votebank politics.”
While the Congress party which too sent a delegation on Saturday, hit back at the ruling BJP, questioning the propriety of the ruling party forming a fact-finding committee even as the State government led by the party was carrying out a probe into the incident.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar denied the role of any Congress worker in the violence. He claimed “None of our workers had any role in the violence. It is our MLA who was attacked. The incident has only shown the failure of the BJP government, be it in intelligence gathering or controlling law and order. To cover this up and divert the attention of the people, the BJP is spreading rumours of an internal rift in the Congress and blaming us for the riots.”
