Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Working President Satish Jarkiholi demanded a judicial probe into the recent incident of violence in Bengaluru. Congress party leaders and workers were being selectively targeted for inquiry by the police, hence judicial probe was needed to clear the air, he said
Speaking to reporters at the party office here on Friday, Jarkiholi said, "Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has been blaming the factions in the Congress party for the violence. We do agree that we have factions within the party, but were not involved in the violence. It has come to the notice that Congress party leaders and workers were being summoned for inquiry by police. Truth needs to come out and judicial probe into the violence is needed."
He denied that KPCC President D K Shivakumar threatened Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant. He said, Shivakumar addressed him respectfully, using 'Mr' and asked not to make Congress party leaders and workers scapegoats for violence. It does not amount to threatening.
Congress party has formed fact-finding committee and it will soon visit the affected areas and collect information about the violence. Committee will submit its findings to the KPCC president. Based on its report, the party will decide the next course of action. The committee was yet to begin its work, he stated.
"BJP leaders earlier used to abuse the CBI and call it different names and now want it to conduct an inquiry into the Bengaluru violence. Judicial probe will bring facts to the fore, Jarkiholi expressed.
He blamed the BJP government as being responsible for the violence. Complainants had been waiting for their complaint to be filed for more than three hours. Had that been done immediately, violence could have been prevented.