Bengaluru blast: CM says govt will bear cost for treatment; recalls Mangaluru cooker explosion

Bengaluru blast: CM says govt will bear cost for treatment; recalls Mangaluru cooker explosion

Mangalore Today News Network/News18

Bengaluru, Mar 02, 2024: On the explosion at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday alleged politics by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the incident and said the blast was carried out by a masked man who reached there by a bus.

 

“BJP is doing politics. Bomb blasts happened during their governance as well. Were they appeasing Muslims then? I condemn terrorists. We must not do politics,” Siddaramaiah said in Mysore.

The chief minister also informed that he will visit the victims in the hospital on Saturday and inspect the explosion spot. He also announced that the Congress government would bear all costs of treatment of victims injured in Friday’s blast.

About the investigation into the blast, Siddaramaiah said that the man responsible for the explosion wore a mask, and cap and travelled in a bus adding that such explosions occurred during BJP’s rule as well.

“A blast has indeed happened. One man who wore a mask and cap came on the bus. Ordered Rave idly at the counter. Then he went and sat in a place. He kept the timer and went. 9 are injured. All are out of danger. DCM and HM went to the spot. I will also go. We don’t know who he is. His photos have come. Getting off the bus, taking tokens sitting there, and keeping the bag there. At the earliest, we’ll find him,” Siddaramaiah added.

To a question whether any organisation was involved or was it by an individual, the Chief Minister said it is still not known.”We will find the culprit, it will be easy as his visuals alighting from the bus, purchasing tiffin at the eatery, sitting at a place and placing a bag have all come. We will find him at the earliest,” he added.

In connection with alleged pro-Pakistan slogans raised by supporters of Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the chief minister said that his government is waiting for the Forensic Science Laboratory report.

“If the FSL report comes, we’ll take action accordingly. We are not trying to protect anyone. We’ll punish those who have committed crimes,” said the chief minister.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of senior Home Department officials today in the wake of the blast.

On being asked about some reports suggesting similarities between the 2022 Mangaluru cooker blast and Friday’s incident, CM Siddaramaiah said that investigations are also being conducted on the Mangaluru cooker explosion.

Bengaluru Blast Case: Investigation Intensify

The Karnataka police have intensified the investigation into the low-intensity bomb blast at a popular eatery here, in which 10 people were injured, officials said on Saturday.

According to official sources, images of the suspect’s movement have been captured by the CCTV cameras at the Rameshwaram cafe in the Brookefield area and those nearby.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said it is not possible to ascertain the involvement of any terror outfit at the time and the police are conducting an in-depth investigation into the bomb blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe.

The investigating teams are also looking at similarities between Friday’s explosion and the November 2022 Mangaluru cooker blast, sources said.