No decision on banning ‘certain organisations’ for B’luru violence: K’taka law minister

PTI, Aug 20, 2020, 4:49 PM IST

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday did not take any decision to initiate a process banning ‘certain organisations’ which were allegedly behind the violence in Bengaluru on August 11 night.

“We had a detailed discussion but we did not take any concrete decision because till now as of now we don’t have any report and closed the matter only after discussing it,” Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Madhuswamy said the ministers discussed the matter elaborately but there was no decision as such on it. He added that a final call will be taken only after “getting reports.”

“After getting the reports, the government will certainly initiate action. If needed, we don’t mind even amending the existing law,” the law minister said.

There was a growing clamour to ban the Social Democratic Party of India, which is alleged to be behind the violence in Bengaluru in which three people were killed in police firing on August 11 night.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said on August 13 that as per the information gathered and video footage, the role of SDPI behind the mob violence had come to light and investigation will go deep into it.

The SDPI had denied its role in the violence and blamed police inaction.

The violence in DJ Halli and adjoining areas on August 11 was unleashed by hundreds of people over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by a relative of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. His residence and a police station at D J Halli were torched by rioters, who also set many police and private vehicles ablaze and looted the belongings of the MLA and his sister.