Karnataka HM Bommai says local political differences, SDPI conspiracy reasons behind recent mindless violence in Bengaluru

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Sixty people were arrested on Thursday night, taking the total detentions to over 206 so far in connection with the mob violence on Tuesday night in Pulakeshinagar Assembly constituency area of Bengaluru resulting in police firing and death of three people. Haleem Pasha, the husband of city Corporator Irshaad Begum, was among the 60 arrested said Karnataka  Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai. “Political differences in Pulakeshinagar and matters related to the previous election, also an upcoming election to the city civic body and related matters are all involved in the violent incident,  Bommai said. Along with political differences, ‘conspiracy’ by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to disturb the law and order situation was also behind the violence by a large number of people protesting a communally sensitive social media post, he added. “I have already said that we are deeply investigating the SDPI’s role and along with that the role of local corporators is all coming out one after the other, investigations are on. Around 206 people have been arrested so far,” he told media people. There are reports that local politics with an eye on coming polls to the city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike might have also added to the fury, pointing at alleged differences between local corporators and MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy, who had joined Congress from JD(S). Reports have also said SDPI was keen to gain ground in the locality inhabited by a considerable Muslim population, Bommai said. it had come to light from the investigation so far about differences within the Congress and also differences between Congress and the SDPI locally. The violence in D J Halli and adjoining areas on Tuesday night was unleashed by hundreds of people over an inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshinagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy of Congress. (Image courtesy: PTI/ Shailendra Bhojak)