Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (EP)
Mangaluru, Dec 21: BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday December 21 lashed out at the opposition Congress and held its leaders responsible for the violent protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act that rocked the city two days ago. Two persons died in police firing during the protest.
Addressing reporters here, Karandlaje said, "Congress leaders are responsible for the violent incidents in the city. Mangaluru was on fire within 24 hours of U T Khader's speech. Congress leaders should take responsibility for all that has happened in the city.
"Bunder is an extremely sensitive area. Police shot at protesters after thousands of people gheraoed the police station on all the four roads there in order to take guns from the police station and shoot. Stones were hurled by those who were covering faces with cloth. We have seen similar stone-pelting incidents directed at police and soldiers in Kashmir on social media and news. College students and students from Kerala with their faces masked have hurled stones. Those who were present during shooting incident have said that the protesters were not local people," she claimed.
"The incidents have happened to bring Mangaluru under the control of PFI and SDPI leaders. Therefore, investigations should be conducted to find out who came to Karnataka from another state, who took part in the protests, who hurled stones and petrol bombs, who set fire and hatched conspiracy on that day.
"The state will send detailed report to the centre. Union home minister is continuously in contact with the officials here," she added.
Asked if those from the neighbouring state had been arrested, she said that a journalist had come without identity card carrying a 'deadly weapon''. "He has been arrested. There are no other reports of arrest," she said.
To a question confirming if the reporter was carrying weapon, she said that it will be known only after investigations. The reporter repeated the question point out that the MP had tweeted about it.
"A report states that he was carrying weapon and was posing as a reporter. Therefore, he was arrested," she said.
"The involvement of PFI was confirmed in the murders in Karnataka of Prashant Poojary, Madiwala, Rudresh and others. Murders of BJP activists and Sangh Parivar activists at the hands of PFI in the state are proved. They had also tried to kill former minister Tanvir Sait. A report has been sent to the centre urging to ban PFI," she said.
"PFI are the ones who create trouble and are ignite fires," she said.
Asked to respond to a viral video that purportedly shows a policeman making a controversial statement regarding opening fire on protesters, Shobha Karandlaje said everything would be investigated.
Siddaramaiah hits back
Meanwhile, former chief minister SIddaramaiah hit back, saying that if Shobha Karandlaje were to be barred from entering coastal districts, peace would return to the region.
Taking to Twitter, Siddaramaiah tagged chief minister B S Yediyurappa and said, "She (Karandlaje) has a track record of inciting communal tensions with her lies."
He added, "Chief minister, you have taken along Shobha Karandlaje to Mangaluru even though she has often provoked communal tensions. But you have barred us from going there. What is the chief minister's intention? Is it restoring peace or destroying peace?"