Rallies will soon have one venue

Rallies will soon have one venue

The Asian Age

Bangalore, Jan. 22: The state government will consider banning processions on roads, said chief minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy after a high-level meeting held to review the law and order situation in the city. "We have directed the law department to provide inputs on this proposal after which a final decision will be taken," he said.

Mr Kumaraswamy also announced that the government would soon identify a public place for holding rallies. "We have in principle, agreed that rallies cannot be held anywhere in the city. A place will be soon identified and it will be the venue for all future rallies," he said.

According to the chief minister, the violence that rocked the city since Friday evening, was the handiwork of some vested interests. "Some people are trying to tarnish the image of this coalition government," he said. He announced a compensation of Rs one lakh for the family members of the boy who was killed in police firing on Sunday and Rs 25,000 for those who sustained bullet injuries. He also rejected the Opposition’s demand for a judicial probe into this incident.

Meanwhile, the blame game has started with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress blaming each other for Sunday’s violence. On Monday, the BJP launched a no-holds barred attack on the Congress while the latter made a veiled attack against the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.

State BJP president, D.V. Sadananda Gowda said that Sunday’s violence was the handiwork of some Congress leaders. "When two other rallies held by the Sangh Parivar in the city on Sunday could pass off peacefully, how could the Sangh Parivar members indulge in arson only in Shivajinagar?" he asked.

The Congress issued a statement hinting at the involvement of the Sangh Parivar in these incidents.