Mangaluru: Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, December 23, finally arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport after repeated failed attempts over the past few days.
Addressing the media at the airport, Siddaramaiah demanded that a judicial inquiry, led by the sitting High Court judge, be conducted into the violence that occured on December 19.
Commenting on Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa ordering that a CID probe be conducted into the violence, Siddaramaiah said that there was no point to such an inquiry as the police themselves were involved in the incident.
Asked to comment on the CM’s statement that it was inevitable for the police to open fire on the protesters, he asked if the CM was an eyewitness to the incident to make such a statement.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the CM BSY-led government has no concern for the problems of the poor and acts on the directions of the RSS. He also sought the arrest of RSS supremo Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat for the Babri Masjid demolition demonstration at his school.
The former chief minister is accompanied by MLA Zameer Ahmed and former Karnataka home minister M B Patil.
He is in the city to meet the aggrieved family members of the police firing victims, console them and enquire about the truth behind what happened in the city on Thursday that led to the unfortunate deaths. Following this, he will address the media.
It can be recalled that the Congress leader has been trying to visit the city since Friday, December 20, a day after two persons were killed in the police firing when violence broke out during the anti-CAA protests in the city. When he announced his plans to visit the city on Saturday, Mangaluru City Commissioner of Police Dr P S Harsha issued him a notice barring him from entering the city till the curfew was lifted.
A curfew was imposed on the city on Thursday night and was lifted on Monday, December 23, at 6 AM. with a few relaxations in between. Even the mobile internet services were suspended in the Dakshina Kannada district for a 48-hour period starting from 10 PM on Thursday and ending at 10 PM on Saturday.
