Violence during Rajkumar funeral incited: Kumaraswamy

Bangalore, Apr 14 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today claimed that the vandalism and arson incidents during the funeral procession of late matinee idol Rajkumar was ''incited by some people'' and refuted allegations that the government machinery had failed to check the violence.

The trail of violence during the five hour funeral procession had left eight killed, including seven in police firing and more than 265 people, including 174 policemen injured.

Talking to newsmen here, after reviewing the situation with top police officials, Mr Kumaraswamy said ''the incident is not a black spot on the image of the government. There are several things I know, which I do not want to discuss in public'' he added and declined to identify those who had incited the trouble.

Commending the police for acting with utmost restraint, he said ''otherwise the situation would have gone worse and more innocent people would have been affected.'' The Congress had charged that the coalition government, due its inexperience, had failed to check the violence and demanded its resignation. Senior Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Dharam Singh and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Mallikarjuna Kharge demanded a judicial probe by a Supreme Court judge into the entire incident.

Mr Kumaraswamy stating that an inquiry would be held, declined to divulge the nature of inquiry that would be ordered into the incident and said that the Cabinet would decide on the compensation to be paid to the affected people, including the family of the deceased.

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