India / BJP leaders demand properties of Bengaluru rioters be seized

Bengaluru: Following the violence in Bengaluru on Tuesday night, where a mob vandalised two police stations, BJP leaders including Karnataka Tourism Minister CT Ravi and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya have requested Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to attach properties of those involved in the riot. 

Referring to the violence that occurred in Padarayanapura in April this year, Minister CT Ravi told TNM, “In Padarayanapura people vandalised public property, now it happened in DJ Halli and KG Halli. This is not a one-off incident and in order for it to be controlled, I believe properties of rioters should be attached,” Minister Ravi said, while adding that he has discussed the issue with senior cabinet ministers and the issue would be tabled in the upcoming cabinet meeting on August 20. 

“I have spoken to senior cabinet ministers and they support this view too. The public opinion is also largely in favour of this move. We will take this seriously and take a decision in the upcoming cabinet meeting,” he added. 

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, asking him to follow in the footsteps of his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and attach properties of the accused involved in the violence on Tuesday. 

Violent mobs attacked the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations in Bengaluru and also the under-construction house belonging to Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy on Tuesday after his nephew made a derogatory comment against Prophet Mohammed on Facebook. 

“I request you to follow the example of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, led by Honourable Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath. Your kind self will be aware that the Shri Yogi Adityanath Government in UP attached the properties of rioters involved in the arson,” Tejasvi Surya’s letter to Yediyurappa states. 

Earlier this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath had issued an order to attach the properties of protesters, who are part of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act and National Registry of Indian Citizens. A hoarding with pictures of those involved in the protests were put up in Lucknow, stating that they were the accused in rioting cases. 

The UP government had issued recovery notices worth Rs 1.5 crore to persons accused of destroying public property under the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Ordinance, 2020.

“In Uttar Pradesh too, there were so many riots. Once the ordinance was passed, the government was able to control the violence. We need to take this measure to ensure that such incidents don’t occur in the future,” Minister Ravi said. 

MP Tejasvi Surya also requested Yediyurappa to launch an investigation into the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI), and their alleged involvement in the violence in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. 

“The present incident of burning down a police station and attacking more than 60 policemen is something that the state has not witnessed before. I am of the firm opinion that this must be dealt with sternly and an example must be made out of the perpetrators of violence, which will ensure that such incidents will not be repeated in the future,” Tejasvi Surya’s letter adds. 

Three people died due to gunshot wounds after police opened to contain the violent mob. Over 60 policemen were injured. Five persons belonging to SDPI were arrested on Wednesday including its Bengaluru district president Muzamil Pasha. Bengaluru Police Commissioner and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai have stated that the attacks on the police stations were planned well in advance.