Karnataka BJP chief blames Congress for Maddur stone-pelting; alleges law, order collapse

Bengaluru, Sep 9 (PTI) Alleging a collapse of law and order in Karnataka, state BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday targeted the ruling Congress government over the stone-pelting incident in Maddur during the Lord Ganesha idol immersion procession on September 7, accusing it of "indulging in minority appeasement and taking an anti-Hindu stance." He said a delegation, including the Leader of Opposition in both houses of the legislature, R Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and other party leaders, would visit Maddur on Wednesday to participate in a meeting and mass Ganesh idol immersion programme.

Tension had escalated in Maddur and surrounding areas following the September 7 incident, with several right-wing organisations staging large-scale protests on Monday. The BJP had called for a bandh in Maddur on Tuesday.

"The law and order situation in the state has completely collapsed today. People of the state and Hindu activists are asking the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah), what injustice have the Hindus done to this Congress government? Somewhere, I think the CM is surrounded by ineligible people," Vijayendra alleged.

He added that with such attacks and stone-pelting incidents, Hindus are "unable to celebrate the Ganapati festival properly." Mandya police have arrested 22 people in connection with the Maddur stone-pelting incident, while four others are yet to be apprehended.

Accusing the Congress government of "practising minority appeasement politics," Vijayendra claimed that the recent cabinet decision to withdraw criminal cases against those involved in stone pelting had "emboldened anti-social elements." "They feel that they have the support of the Congress government, irrespective of what they do. The stone pelting in Maddur during Ganapati visarjan is an example of this," he claimed.

Pointing out that no Hindu organisations attended the peace meeting called by Mandya district in-charge Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Tuesday, Vijayendra alleged, "because of the Congress government’s support, such incidents of stone pelting are happening." He claimed that "the days under this Congress government resemble Nizam rule." Targeting the government over a pro-Pakistan slogan raised in Shivamogga’s Bhadravathi during the recent Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, and the police preventing Hindu activists from holding the ‘Chamundi Hill Chalo’ march in Mysuru on Tuesday, Vijayendra, alleged, "Somewhere, the Congress and Siddaramaiah government do not like Hindus." He added, "If the government has guts, let them arrest those who shouted Pakistan slogans instead of stopping Hindu karyakartas from holding protests." The ‘Chamundi Hill Chalo’ march, called by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike and supported by the BJP, was meant to protest Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s statement claiming that Chamundi Hill in Mysuru, home to the famous Chamundeshwari temple, was "not the property of Hindus alone." Vijayendra warned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara that if the government "does not correct its approach, the law and order situation will worsen, and the state government would be held responsible." Noting that a fact-finding team led by retired IPS officer and party leader Bhaskar Rao would visit Maddur, Vijayendra said, "The complete failure of the police department in Maddur is evident." He also questioned the government and police about how stones were stored in the mosque, alleging intelligence failures and lapses on the part of the Superintendent of Police, Mandya, Mallikarjun Baladandi. PTI KSU SSK KH