Bengaluru: Police stand next to the charred remains of a vehicle vandalised by a mob over a social media post by a relative of a MLA, in Bengaluru, Wednesday morning, Aug. 12, 2020.
At least three people were killed while over 60 police personnel suffered injuries in violence that broke out late Tuesday night after nephew of a Congress MLA purportedly shared a communal Facebook post. An enraged mob rampaged through Pulakeshi Nagar and vandalised a police station and the Congress legislator's house. Accused Naveen and 110 others have been arrested. Meanwhile, section 144 has been imposed in Bengaluru while DJ Halli and KG Halli police station limits are placed under curfew.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
- Protesting the social media post, a large number of people gathered near Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy's residence and vandalised it and also damaged the vehicles parked there.
- The angry mob also targeted the police station and damaged vehicles believing the the police had kept the accused detained there.
- Eye-witnessed told PTI that the police teams that tried to contain the violence also bore the brunt of the mob as their vehicles were damaged.
- According to police sources, a person said to be Murthy's nephew allegedly shared the social media post that enraged members of a community.
- Meanwhile, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said riots and arson are against law. He warned the rioters saying that he has given police a free hand to contain the violence.
Bengaluru: Charred remains of a vehicle vandalised by a mob, in Bengaluru, Wednesday morning, Aug. 12, 2020. A mob rampaged through Bengalurus Pulakeshi Nagar Tuesday night and vandalised a police station and a Congress legislators residence after an alleged relative of the MLA shared a social media post purportedly on a communal issue.
- Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant rushed to the spot following the incident. However, his intervention too didn't stop the rioters.
- The Bengaluru Police, later, said it had to lathi-charge the mob, lob the tear gas and finally open fire to control them.
- Later, MLA Murthy appealed to the community members to not resort to violence. "I am appealing to my Muslim brethren that we should not resort to violence for the fault committed by some miscreants. There is no need to fight. We all are brothers. We will get the person punished as per law. We will also be with you. I appeal to the Muslim friends to be calm," he said in a video message.
Bengaluru: Police stand guard after a mob vandalised a police station following a social media post by a relative of a MLA, in Bengaluru, Wednesday morning, Aug. 12, 2020.
- I strongly condemn the incident and our party also condemns whatever happened last night. It happened due to a person's post on social media. At this point, it is important to maintain peace, Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar says
