Highlights:
- Bengaluru saw violent protest after a Facebook post
- The protestors set vehicles ablaze and threw stones at police
- 3 people were killed in police firing and 100 people have been arrested
In a violent protest, 60 police personnel in Bengaluru were injured and 3 people were killed in police firing said the Bengaluru Police Chief. Violence broke out in the eastern part of the Bengaluru city on the night of Tuesday over a Facebook message which was posted allegedly by a relative of a Congress MLA.
110 people have been arrested for violence, stone-throwing and assault on police personnel.
Many vehicles were set on fire by the protesters set many vehicles on fire who also surrounded MLA Srinivas Murthy’s house in the city. Murthy’s nephew Naveen, who allegedly posted the message on Facebook, has also been arrested.
The police used baton, tear gas and ammunitions to disperse the violent crowd.
Bengaluru Police posted on Twitter, “DG Halli and KG Halli saw violent incidents. To bring this under control, police used lathi charge, tear gas and firing. Police Commissioner went to the spot. Police bandobast is in place. Strict action will be taken against those offenders,”
Also the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, Kamal Pant wrote on Twitter, “With regard to incidents in DJ Halli, accused Naveen arrested for posting derogatory posts.. also total 110 accused arrested for arson, stone pelting and assault on police. APPEAL TO ALL TO COOPERATE WITH POLICE TO MAINTAIN PEACE.”
With regard to incidents in DJ Halli, accused Naveen arrested for posting derogatory posts.. also total 110 accused arrested for arson, stone pelting and assault on police. APPEAL TO ALL TO COOPERATE WITH POLICE TO MAINTAIN PEACE.
— Kamal Pant, IPS (@CPBlr) August 11, 2020
24 four-wheelers were set on fire, along with 200 bikes that were burnt have been kept at a police station. A police station was damaged in the violence.
The Police commissioner of Bengaluru, Kamal Pant, said the situation has been brought under control. A curfew has been imposed in the violence-hit areas of DG Halli and KG Halli until tomorrow morning, and any and all large gatherings have been banned in the rest of Bengaluru city.
At least one news reporter was injured after being hit by the police while covering the situation.
In tweets this morning, the Chief Minister of Karnataka B S Yediyurappa condemned the violent protest and said strict action will be taken against the perpetrators of the violence.
The Congress MLA had released a video appealing to people to maintain peace. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai also released a video message, saying people should not take law into their own hands.
He condemned the incidents of arson and looting and said that additional police forces had been sent to the area.
He said that the police has been given a free hand to bring down the situation under control.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao also appealed people to not to take law into their hands.
“Horrible situation in Pulakeshinagar after the attack on our MLA @AkhandaSrinivas house and the Kaval Byrsandra Polcie satiation. Whatever the provocation nobody can take law into their own hands and destroy public property,” he said on Twitter. “I urge all the people to maintain calm and the govt to handle this delicate situation firmly but surely and not play politics. I also see a conspiracy in the way the Facebook post has been put out & looks to have been done to incite disturbance,” he said further.
