Karnataka: BJP Criticizes Siddaramaiah Administration Following Mob Assault on Police Station

Bengaluru, Feb 11 (NationPress) The BJP has launched a fierce critique of the Karnataka government following a violent mob assault on a police station in Mysuru, attributing it to the Chief Minister’s lenient approach towards religious extremists.

Mysuru, the native city of CM Siddaramaiah, witnessed unrest on Wednesday when a mob, armed with stones, surrounded a police station and hurled stones at it, evidently outraged by an incendiary social media post.

Opposition leader R. Ashoka, addressing the media, condemned the Congress administration and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, arguing that his choice to dismiss charges against radicals has emboldened them to even target law enforcement.

“The law and order situation in Karnataka has worsened under the Congress regime. Similar to the incidents in Hubballi, a police station has now been attacked in Mysuru, the birthplace of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” he stated.

He accused Muslim extremists, provoked by a social media post regarding Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, of carrying stones in bags and assaulting the police station on Monday.

He further claimed that members of the majority community were also threatened by these extremists, fostering a climate of fear in the city.

Additionally, he asserted that the withdrawal of charges against those involved in the Hubballi riots has only strengthened their resolve.

“When Congress leaders like Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar assert that this government caters to minorities, it instills confidence in them that they can even destroy police stations. On one side, there is a financial crisis, and on the other, the law-and-order system is collapsing. Now, if cases are registered against Muslims, the police understand it will be futile. A lack of fear towards law enforcement indicates that the system is dysfunctional. The entire framework is being compromised for vote bank politics,” Ashoka remarked.

In response to R. Ashoka's claims, the Home Minister stated, “Let Ashoka first evaluate the circumstances before offering his counsel. Whenever an issue arises related to Muslims, he brands it as appeasement. He lacks any other agenda apart from that. It is inappropriate to make such remarks in every situation.”

Ashoka also criticized Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, accusing him of defying AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge by attending the Kumbh Mela and commending the Uttar Pradesh government's arrangements.

“Kharge must clarify whether his Congress represents the genuine Congress or if Shivakumar’s Congress is the authentic one. Congress members are now uncertain about whom to trust and follow,” he mocked.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced that directives have been issued to apprehend those who incited violence by throwing stones at the Udayagiri police station in Mysuru and to initiate legal proceedings against them.

Previously, Karnataka Police had detained an individual linked to a controversial social media post that made communal remarks about a specific community while celebrating the defeat of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the New Delhi Assembly elections, which incited tensions in Mysuru.

The suspect, a resident of Kalyannagar in Mysuru, had posted derogatory comments about Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav, and Arvind Kejriwal. The post gained significant traction on social media on Monday night.

By late Monday night, a group from the minority community congregated in front of the Udayagiri police station, demanding action against the accused. Despite police efforts to calm the crowd, including enlisting religious leaders to intervene, the situation escalated, leading to stone-pelting at the police station.

IANS

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