Congress blames BJP for Mangalore violence

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) The All India Congress Committee (AICC) today blamed the BJP for the "widespread" communal violence in Mangalore in Dakshina Kannada district during October 9-11, and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident in which two people were killed and 88 injured.

"A concerted attempt is being made by the BJP in Karnataka to instigate communal violence to disturb the peace and to polarise the society on the lines of religion," Party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told mediapersons, while ading that "this was being done with a view to gaining political and electorate benefits in much the same way as was sought to be done in Gujarat earlier." She said a team of leaders from the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee who visited the affected areas, had found that minister Nagaraj Shetty, a BJP leader, had not only "totally mishandled the situation but was largely responsible for instigating violence.' "In a further shocking development, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister had sought to justify these actions saying that it is up to the people to catch whoever commits a crime and it is only after that the police can take action." In this context, Ms Natarajan said the Congress Party vehemently condemned the actions of the BJP vis-a-vis the October 9-11 violence, and demnaded the resignation of Mr Nagaraj Shetty.

UNI SH VD BS1922