Bangalore Riots: a Pattern on the Anvil…
Bangalore riot that took place on August 11, 2020 is an eye opener not only for the government and the law enforcing agencies but for the society at large. We need to probe and understand the conspiracy behind this. Without planning how such a large number of people can gather that too in a very short time? How such a large number of people could gather fully prepared to execute widespread attack within a few hours of a call in the social media? How such a wide spread attack on public and private property and such brutal attack on a large number of police personnel be carried out sequentially without proper planning and guidance?
Tuesday night’s sustained guerrilla like action against the police over a fairly large grid of bylanes and narrow roads in east Bengaluru was something they hadn’t anticipated. The violence was spread over three localities Kavalbyrasandra, KG Halli and DJ Halli under KG Halli and DJ Halli police station limits. 3 people were killed in police firing and more than 60 police personnel were injured in various locations during the riot.
The riots that rocked parts of Bengaluru on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, night has its genesis in a meeting of local minority community members in Kavalbyrasandra area. The agenda was to discuss a derogatory Facebook post by a re]ative of local MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy and the members decided to take up the matter with the lawmaker and the police.
The group was miffed that Naveen, the Congress legislator’s nephew, sounded jubilant that the bhumi pujan was conducted for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. While the comments on bhumi pujan were posted a few days ago, and Naveen’s post on Tuesday a slur against their faith was the last straw. The community leaders, including some local SDPI activists, decided to press for action against him.
A group comprising SDPI activists, headed to Srinivasamurthy’s house, while another went to KG Halli police station. The police personnel at the station told the group to wait for senior officers to arrive as it was a cyber crime and a sensitive issue. But they wanted Naveen to be arrested immediately. The cops explained that was not possible without proper evidence and assured them of action, but they refused to listen. And a rumour started spreading that the police refused to accept a complaint against the alleged derogatory FB post. And the plan of action for the riot took off soon thereafter.
The drama began around 7pm in front of Pulakeshinagar MLA Sri Akhanda Srinivasamurthy’s house and lasted til12am. Things deteriorated after 10pm as mobs locked up KG Halli and DJ Halli stations and torched police vehicles. Additional reinforcements that rushed from various parts of the city to help colleagues at the two stations were at the receiving end of a barrage of stones, bricks, bottles and other objects at every step.
Police officers said streetlights were damaged and at several places they had to negotiate road blocks in the dark. Vehicles that rioters had damaged or set on fire were pushed to the middle of the road to stop cops in their tracks.
This is what Bangalore City Police Commissioner Sri Kamal Pant said on police firing:
“Accompanied by 75 police officials, I had to walk through small lanes of KG Halli. Even as we were walking, stones were first hurled at street lights, plunging the entire area into darkness. The next moment, flower pots, stones of all sizes, bottles, tyres, wooden logs and bricks started raining on us. Our personnel’s protective shields broke and my men were injured. That is when we ordered firing in the air”
This is what a Fire Brigade personnel said:
“A fire and emergency services fire truck that was passing through Tannery Road to reach KG Halli police station couldn’t make much headway as it bore the brunt of mob fury. Two fire tenders had already reached the spot and were dousing vehicles set on fire. Half-a- kilometre before the station, a mob blocked our path. They smashed the glasses of our vehicle. We were pulled out and some of them started beating us. Luckily, a posse of armed police, who saw us, came running towards us, but the mob surrounded them too.”
According to police reports, mobs were found everywhere. When they cleared mob from one place immediately they emerged on another road. Only after several rounds of firing and lobbing of teargas shells the rioting came to an end.
The role of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in instigating violence is well established according to the Karnataka Government. SDPI which was established in 2009 is the political outfit of the Islamic fundamentalist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI). SDPI was very active in organising various anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests all over the country. SDPI’s parent organization PFI has been accused of various antisocial and anti-national activities and few of the allegations against the group is its alleged connections with various Islamic terrorist groups. In January 2020, the BJP Government of Uttar Pradesh in a report to the MHA sought a ban on PFI blaming it for inciting violence during CAA protests leading to the death of 19 people in the state.
Therefore the recent Bangalore riots cannot be seen as an individual incident. Delhi, UP, Kerala and the list is ever growing. The growing violence accross the nation by a united front of terrorists, anti-nationals and urban naxals are not happening by accident or on localised provocation. It’s all the outcome of a very well planned conspiracy to destabilize the nation. Every action should be taken by not only the Indian Government, but all Governments accross the globe to eliminate the dangerous concoction of Islamic terrorism with the red terrorism. And finally the general public also need to be vigilant against such ill conceived motives and give a deaf ear to mischievous rumours. All of us have a role to play in safeguarding our nation from the clutches of terrorists and anti-nationals.
Last but not the least, can we come to any conclusion about its modus operandi from a series of riots that were executed across the nation in the recent past? Yes, as they were organised on short notices indicates that there are a large number of sleeping cells of anti-nationals at various vulnerable locations, in very large numbers, ready to pounce on security forces to neutralize them and to perpetuate large scale vandelism and murder. Therefore maximum attention of the Government and Security Forces is required to identify and neutralize them immediately.
Jai Hind
SJR Kumar
