Bengaluru, Sep 8 (IANS) Coming down heavily on the state government over the Ganesh Visarjan violence in Maddur town of Mandya district, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, demanded an apology from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ashoka stated, “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah must apologise to the people of the state for the stone-pelting incident that took place during the Ganesh Visarjan procession. Why are only Hindus targeted for attacks and FIRs filed?”
“Hundreds of conditions are imposed for the celebration of the Ganesh festival. Hindus cannot freely celebrate the Ganesh festival or take processions. Last year, the Hanuman Dhwaj was removed in Nagamangala town of Mandya district. Don’t you have any shame? In the same Nagamangala, the Ganesh idol was seized and kept in a police vehicle,” Ashoka stated.
“The Ganesh Visarjan procession takes place on a public road; it is not anyone’s private property,” Ashoka said with outrage.
“We pay taxes for the construction of roads. It is our road. If the police had deployed a reserved police platoon at the spot, there would have been no need to deploy thousands of policemen or resort to lathi-charge,” he noted.
Ashoka further stated angrily, “Doesn’t the government have common sense to realise that such goondas who pelt stones will be there in mosques? They have systematically planned to target Hindus.”
“It aligns with Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that Chamundi Hills is not exclusive to Hindus. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and allowed propaganda in the Dharmasthala case,” he claimed.
“If the series of incidents over the last two years is taken into consideration, Hindus have been reduced to second-class citizens in the state. We don’t know whether the government is alive or dead. For vote politics, they are selling the nation. They flaunt a copy of the Constitution for everything. Is this the Constitution?” Ashoka added.
Former Dy CM and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, condemning Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy’s statement that BJP and JD(S) provoked violence, asked how BJP and JD(S) are supporting this. “You were not convinced when it happened in Nagamangala. Today, it is happening in Maddur, yet you remain unconvinced. You think no one can question you and are carrying out politics of appeasement. You are stuck in the illusion of power and issuing such statements, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy,” Ashwath Narayan questioned.
“Whenever Congress comes to power, it is taken for granted that police can be attacked without consequence. In this background, people gather and act as they wish. When Eid-Milad processions are held, do others pelt stones?” he asked.
“The law must be strengthened, and a message must go out that those who indulge in such acts will not be forgiven. They must be booked under the Goonda Act and imprisoned. If strict action is initiated, who will dare to pelt stones?” he said. “Cases are being withdrawn for all criminal cases, including the burning of police stations,” he claimed.
–IANS
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