No decision on banning certain organisations for Bengaluru violence: Karnataka Law Minister

Bengaluru, Aug 20: The Karnataka government on Thursday desisted from taking any decision on banning certain organisations in the absence of concrete reports from police and other departments about their involvement in the violence in parts of Bengaluru on August 11 night.

"We had a detailed discussion but we did not make any concrete decision because as of now we dont have any report (from police and other government departments) and we closed the matter after discussing it," Law Minister J C Madhuswamy told reporters after a meeting of the State cabinet.

Madhuswamy said the ministers discussed at length the matter pertaining to a ban on the organisations but there was no decision as such on it. He added that a final call will be taken only after getting reports from police and other departments.

"After getting the reports, the government will certainly initiate action. If needed, we dont mind even amending the existing law," the Minister said.

Three people were killed in police firing and the fourth one succumbed to injuries during violence in D J Halli and adjoining areas on August 11 night over a purportedly inflammatory social media post put out by a relative of a local Congress legislator.

The residence of Pulakeshinagar MLA, R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and D J Halli police station were torched by rioters, who also set many police and private vehicles ablaze and looted the belongings of the legislator and his sister.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on August 13 that as per the information gathered and video footage, the role of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political outfit of Popular Front of India, 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. In days after the mob violence, Some Ministers and BJP leaders had called for taking steps to ban SDPI.