BJP hits out at Congress for not siding with its own MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday hit out at the Congress for allegedly backing the rioters and not its own Pulakeshinagar MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy whose house was set on fire by the rioters on August 11 night.

"The Congress says that the innocent people are being arrested. Who is innocent? The man who is sitting next to me (Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy). He should get justice," BJP state vice-president and Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavali said at a press conference at Murthy's residence.

Days after the incident, Limbavali visited Murthy's house which was damaged.

He was accompanied by BJP's Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan.

He was referring to Congress state chief D K Shivakumar's statement on Saturday that the police were serving notices to people to terrorise them and forcing them to give a statement favourable to them.

Limbavali alleged that the Congress leaders have demanded the release of innocent people arrested in connection with the case.

"By calling the rioters innocent and demanding their release, what are you going to achieve? Instead of bothering about your vote bank, you should have spoken a few words in favour of your own MLA," he opined.

Likening the riot with the stone pelters of Kashmir, the BJP leader alleged never ever in the history of Karnataka an incident like this has happened where an MLA's house was set on fire.