The peaceful Bengaluru was burning on the night of August 11, 2020. A mob of more than 1000 Muslims gathered outside the residence of the MLA late Tuesday night. They started pelting stones and set vehicles on fire. They claim to have been irked by an alleged derogatory social media post shared by the MLA’s relative Naveen.
According to reports, the unrest escalated after a group of people went to the KG Halli police station to file a complaint against Naveen but were told by local police to sort out the matter out on their own. While attempts to torch the house were thwarted by the police, hundreds of people gathered in front of KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations.
These areas were sensitive to communal tensions, especially during the anti-CAA protests. Keeping that in mind, a heavy police force was deployed in the areas of DJ Halli. However, before the police could mobilize enough staff, the mob started pelting stones at police vehicles and torching vehicles. They also tried to set the police station on fire. As a result the police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbing tear gas shells.
Several policemen were injured and vehicles were damaged and burnt. When the KSRP platoons, called in to contain the situation, advanced towards the rioters, they were pelted with stones from rooftops. When the mob did not budge and intensified their attack, the cops fired a warning shot in the air. However, the mob was in a mood to pay heed to any warnings. Finally, the police had to resort to ‘Firing’ killing two and leaving 3-4 others injured near KG Halli police station. The situation is still tense in the area and more police forces are being pressed into service.
The Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bengaluru
As per the update from the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Bengaluru Sandeep Patil, the accused Naveen has been arrested for sharing the derogatory posts on social media and 110 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.
This violent reaction on a Social Media Post has not been protested by any comedians, actors, or celebrities till now, which is quite unlike how they react when any Hindu group gets agitated when any such comments are made on Hindu Gods. When any Hindu group objects to any demeaning comments or joke, the Freedom of Expression Card is played but in this kind of cases, those same group of people accuses the commenter of inciting riots.
Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad also condemned the situation. “People who put up the derogatory post and those who took the law into their hands have done great harm to the existing peace and loving environment we have in Bengaluru,” he said, appealing for peace.
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