Rajya Sabha member B K Hariprasad has alleged that the police fired at the protesters at the behest of Home Minister Amit Shah.
“The police have fired at innocent people at the direction of Amit Shah. Office-bearers of the BJP and some cultural organisations are behind the incident. Acting as puppets in the hands of such people, the police fired at the protesters,” Hariprasad told reporters after visiting the families of the people killed in the police firing in Mangaluru.
The day of police firing is a black day, which has made the people of Dakshina Kannada bow their heads in shame, said the MP.
He said that the police flouted the rules while firing at the people who were protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on December 19. Before firing, they did not take any precautionary measure. When the situation warranted, they should have fired below the knee, he added.
Hariprasad demanded that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai own responsibility for the untoward incident. “Murder case should be booked against Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha and other police officers who were responsible for firing at innocent people,” he urged.
The MP also demanded that the government increase the compensation amount to the families of the people killed in the police firing to
Rs 50 lakh. “The injured citizens should be given compensation of Rs 10 lakh. A judicial inquiry should be conducted by a sitting or retired high court judge,” he added.
“The video footage uploaded on social media has been edited by the police,” Hariprasad charged.