Two persons died after the police opened fire to control the violent mob in Mangaluru during the protests against the citizenship amendment act (CAA) on Thursday. Two others are said to be in a critical state.
The Mangaluru Police have imposed curfew in the limits of five police stations, while the district administration has announced holiday for schools, colleges and government offices on Friday.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao attacked Karnataka’s BJP regime and held it “directly responsible for the breakdown in law & order.”
Two people have died in police firing and two are supposedly critically injured. “The statements and actions of the BJP govt & its leaders is creating an unnecessary provocative environment,” he tweeted.
Congress MLA (Shivajinagar) Rizwan Arshad demanded a judicial probe into the firing, while mourning the death of two protesters. “This attempt of BJP to subvert democracy & turn India into a dictatorship shall never succeed,” he tweeted.
Police imposed curfew in the police station limits of Mangalore North, South, Barke, Kadri and Urva to prevent any further violence.
Normal life was disrupted in the coastal city after large sections of people took to streets to protest the citizenship act. The police caned and tear-gassed protesters as the crowds swelled bringing the city under a siege. They finally resorted to firing.
The State Police have clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC in Bengaluru and Mangaluru until Saturday, banning assembly of more than four persons. The prohibitory orders will be in force till Saturday midnight.
Earlier in the day, the Bengaluru Police detained historian Ramachandra Guha, among the others, on Thursday after he participated in a protest against citizenship amendment act (CAA) in front of Town Hall in the City touching off strong protests from prominent citizens including from corporate India.
“This is shocking n reflects the total lack of understanding of fundamental freedom to express dissent – a peaceful protest should not be mishandled in this manner,” Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted.
Former Infosys Director TV Mohandas Pai said Guha’s detention was very unfortunate as he was protesting peacefully. “His detention has brought unnecessary bad name for Bengaluru and the government. He should be released immediately,” he told ET.
Bengalureans, he said, should have full right to hold peaceful protests against whatever they wish. The government should not restrict that, but no violence is acceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances. “Anyone indulging in violence should meet the full force of the law,” Pai, also the founder of Aarin Capital, said.
Former Infosys board member V Balakrishnan also aired similar views. “It is a tragedy if we call ourselves a functioning democracy if we don’t allow peaceful protests by citizens on issues which affects their fundamental rights,” he said.
Balakrishnan, currently chairman at Exfinity Venture Partners, told ET: “I am more appalled that it is happening in a more forward-looking and global city like Bangalore. The Karnataka government should wake up and allow citizens their fundamental right to show dissent,” he said. Among those taken into custody was Rizwan Arshad, the Congress MLA from Shivajinagar.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, however, disapproved of the police action. The police, he said, should not take law into their hands, and were expected to act only on goonda elements, not common men. “If any police officer is found targeting common man, the government will take strict action against such officials,” the CM told reporters.
Source: Economic Times
