Home Minister must be sacked over Mangaluru police firing incident: Kumaraswamy

Home Minister must be sacked over Mangaluru police firing incident: Kumaraswamy

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 22, 2019: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has demanded  that the State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai  must be sacked  from the cabinet within 24 hours over Thursday’s  incident wherein  two men were killed in police firing during the Citizenship Amendment Act protest.

Speaking to reporters at Hotel Motimahal on December 22, Sunday, he alleged that the City Police Commissioner was lying regarding the incident. The police acted in an uncivilised manner and killed two innocent people, who were not involved in any violence. He also demanded  that  all  erring police officials must be suspended within 24 hours.

The police brutality appeared to be the handiwork of the “parallel government” in the coast being run by Kalladka Prabhakara Bhat, the former Chief Minister alleged and demanded to know who were the officers who met Mr. Bhat on the eve of violence. Having given permission on December 18 to two organisations to hold protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act the next day, the administration imposed prohibitory orders the very night giving little room for participants to return, he said.

The central government has passed CAA and proposed the implementation of NRC, which has sparked widespread protests in the country. There was protest in Kalaburagi recently where over 10,000 people participated but the protest was peaceful. But in Dakshina Kannada district the protest turned violent only due to the misshandling of the situation. Two people were shot and killed and many have suffered bullet injuries who are battling for life in the hospital.The police have behaved inhumanely and the government has shown no concern.In fact they are blaming the protesters and opposition parties. No action was taken against police officials who have waged a war against the peaceful protesters. 

 

Mr. Kumaraswamy charged that police had been “concocting stories” of attack on police station, stone-pelting by protesters etc. to justify their action. On the other hand, a police inspector was on record regretting no one died in the firing. This is nothing but police brutality, he said. About eight injured were undergoing treatment at hospital; all of them were innocent and victims of brutality, he said.

Kumaraswamy further questioned why FIR was filed against those killed in police firing. Chief Minister has no regrets regarding the incident, he alleged.

Earlier, Mr. Kumaraswamy handed over cheques for ₹5 lakh each to the two victims’ families. The party would also bear the treatment expenses of the injured if the government did not do so and plan their rehabilitation, he said. It was an irony that police had registered cases against the deceased as well as the injured, he regretted.

MLCs S L Bhoje Gowda, BM Farooq, party leaders M B Sadashiva and the  bereaved family members of Abdul Jaleel and Nausheen were present.