Karnataka: Siddaramaiah blames BJP for communal violence at Nagamangala

Mysuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday sought to blame the BJP for the recent communal violence at Nagamangala in Mandya district.

He also said that on getting to know about "police failure" in the September 11 Nagamangala incident, the Deputy Superintendent of Police has been suspended.

"Do you know how many Ganesh (pandals) were there? Out of 60,000 Ganeshas, incidents have happened in (only) two places -- Nagamangala and Davangere," he told reporters when asked about incidents of violence during Ganesh idol procession and immersions in the state.

"In Davangere, only stone pelting has happened; in Nagamangala shops and vehicles were torched," Siddaramaiah said.

"The BJP indulges in instigation, they are the reason for communal violence to happen, it is because of their instigation, such things happen," the Chief Minister said.

Siddaramaiah said he will check as to what caused the delay in Lokayukta's probe against former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa and H D Kumaraswamy in connection with the alleged denotification of land in Bengaluru.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka had on Thursday asked the Lokayukta to expedite its probe against Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy in connection with the denotification of 1.11 acres of land at Gangenahalli in Kasaba hobli of Bengaluru North.

"I will check and react....yesterday (Ministers) Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Santhosh Lad, along with other party (Congress) leaders held a joint press conference on it. It happened during Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa's tenure. I need to get the file and check," Siddaramaiah said when asked about delay by Lokayukta in probing the denotification case against the former CMs, since 2021.

He said: "It is a case relating to the denotification of 1.11 acres of land, and the land is of a high value because it is in an important location. It is a valuable land, it has been denotified and later the land has gone to Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law, and his mother-in-law was the GPA ( general power of attorney) holder." Despite officials insisting that it was not a fit case for denotification, it was done, he said: "It (denotification) was done in a dead person's name." Responding to a question on Kumaraswamy, a Union Minister, repeatedly making allegations against him and his government, the CM said the JD(S) leader is always a "hit and run case, he never takes anything to a logical end." "Being a Minister he has to speak responsibly. He is a Cabinet minister at the Centre. He has to speak after verifying what he is saying is true or false," Siddaramaiah said.

He said he will take a call on constituting a Special Investigation Team to probe into cases against BJP MLA Munirathna, after discussion with Home Minister G Parameshwara.

Siddaramaiah said Ministers and some MLAs of Congress party had met him demanding an SIT investigation.

"They had met me, I will discuss with Parameshwara and make a decision. They have submitted a memorandum....they have said that three cases have been registered against Munirathna and they should be handed over to probe by SIT, I have told them that I will discuss with the Home Minister and decide," he said.

The Chief Minister also announced that noted literary figure Hampa Nagarajaiah has been chosen to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festivities this year.

"District in-charge Minister and the administration will officially extend him an invitation. I was authorised to choose a personality to inaugurate the festivities, I have chosen Hampa Nagarajaiah," he said.

Dasara festival will be held from October three to 12.