BANGALORE: The Congress on Monday demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the incidents in Bangalore on April 13 in the wake of actor Rajkumar's funeral procession.

"We demand either a CBI investigation or an inquiry by a judge of the Supreme Court," Congress spokesman and MLC V.S. Ugrappa told presspersons here.

Mr. Ugrappa said the Government, which was bound by the Constitution to protect the life and liberty of the citizens, had failed in its duty. "What is worse, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president and spokespersons have been making statements and levelling baseless allegations against the Congress," he said.

He demanded that the coalition of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP lay down office for the systemic failure on April 12 and 13.

He said leaders were making contradictory statements. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said it was a security lapse. Later, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said it was the work of miscreants and anti-social elements. Then, Bangalore Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh announced that no political party could be said to have been responsible. When the Congress said the Government had failed to control the situation, the Chief Minister accused the party of having instigated violence, Mr. Ugrappa said.

He said Mr. Kumaraswamy's announcement that an inquiry would be conducted referred only to the meeting he held on Friday with the police top brass. Since the role of the police was under question, that was not adequate reassurance, he added.

Countering the statement of BJP State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda that the Congress was behind the violence, Mr. Ugrappa alleged that whenever there were riots, there were accusations regarding the involvement of the BJP. BJP spokesperson Suresh Kumar's allegations against the Congress were not substantiated, he said.

Mr. Ugrappa and Prakash Rathod, MLC, alleged that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy had "orchestrated the most sensational" political drama in the past three months.

Now, the Janata Dal (S) national leadership was accusing Mr. Deve Gowda of supporting the BJP in the Legislative Assembly elections in Kerala, they said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail