“Congress appeasing one community for political benifit”: Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Mandya stone-pelting incident

Mandya (Karnataka) [India], September 13 (ANI): On Friday, former Karnataka Chief Minister and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy visited the Nagamangala area of Karnataka’s Mandya district after violence was reported from the area following an incident of alleged stone pelting at a Ganesh procession. Kumaraswamy, slammed the Congress-led state government and said that they are “appeasing one community for political benefit.”

During a press conference in Mandya on Friday, Kumaraswamy said that he had never indulged in appeasement politics and had always gone with the truth.

“Presently one party is choosing and appeasing one community for political benefit… I’m clearly telling the Congress leaders that I never did politics for any community. I have always gone with the truth; I never did appeasement politics,” he said.

He further questioned the Siddaramiah government alleging that they were playing politics with the lives of the poor.

“What’s your behaviour, how you’re behaving, in Karnataka, especially in south Karnataka? Don’t play politics with the lives of the poor people. Both community ladies spoke to the media and said both communities live like brothers and sisters,” Kumaraswamy added.

Kumaraswamy further questioned the Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara and criticised his remark where he had said that it was a small incident. He further pointed out the police negligence in the matter and stated that if they had worked swiftly, then nothing like this would have happened.

“What the Home Minister said that this was a small incident, What message are you giving through such an incident? What kind of message are you making through your statement? … How many police personnel were deployed, where were the Circle Inspectors, where were the Deputy Superintendents of Police, and why were the police so negligent? If they had been swift and worked on time, no such incident would have happened,” he said.

He further accused Congress of staging the incident and further alleged that they had suspended an inspector related to this matter “just to cover up their mistakes.”

“When we look at such incidents, doesn’t it look like it was planned and staged by Congress? Where did stones, petrol bombs and machetes come from? What were the government and police doing then? It’s the main question. Who was allowed to dance in front of the masjid, why has that happened, and what kind of police work is this? Just to cover up their mistakes, they have suspended the inspector just for name sake because they knew that we would raise these issues,” Kumaraswamy added.

Kumaraswamy further called for compensation from the government to the people who sustained losses following the violence and said that at least 70 per cent of the losses were to be cleared by them.

“I don’t consider this kind of incident in a smaller way; I’m not going to save people who triggered it. Compensation is important; it’s your mistake and you have to clear at least 70 per cent of your losses,” Kumaraswamy added.

This development came following a riot that broke out on September 11 after a stone-pelting incident at a Ganpati immersion procession in Nagamangala in Karnataka’s Mandya district. As per Mandya District Collector Kumar, 54 people were arrested in relation to this case.

As per the Mandya Police, seven bikes and six small shops were burnt, and a total of 15 bikes and a car were slightly damaged during the incident.