Communal clash at Karnataka's Maddur | Union Ministers slam Congress govt in state

New Delhi: Two Union Ministers from Karnataka on Monday blamed Congress ruled government for violence during Ganesh idol immersion procession in Maddur.

Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that appeasement politics adopted by Congress government was main reason for the incident of violence during procession.

"The state government's approach always appease a particular community and hurt sentiments of Hindus. Instead of taking strict action against culprits, the state government acting as mute spectator," these leaders told media here.

"When ever Congress came to power in the state, there were communal violences in state. Last year, there was a communal violence in Nagamangala. Now it is in Maddur. The state government has no control over police force. Instead of giving free hand to police, the state government is indulging in appeasement politics," Kumaraswamy said.

While appealing people to maintain peace, he said, "Earlier commununal violence was limited to few places only in the state. Now under the Congress government ruling, such incidents are occuring across the state."

Kumaraswamy, Lok Sabha member from Mandya said that he already instructed Mandya Superintendent of Police to take strict action against culprits. "If the police failed to discharge their duty, I will personnally visit the violence hit area and supervise law and order situation", he warned.

Criticing Home Minister G Parmeshwara, Union Minister Joshi said the Home Minister does not have control over police force. These incidents shows that the Congress party decline has started in the state, Joshi said.