Complete failure of law and order machinery: Congress on Bengaluru violence

The Congress on Wednesday hit out at the BJP government in Karnataka over the violence in Bengaluru in which three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage irked over a social media post, and said it was a "complete failure of law and order machinery".

Scores, including around 50 policemen, were injured in the violence that erupted on Tuesday night and continued till the wee hours of Wednesday, apparently triggered by the online post.

Bengaluru violence, riots and arson are "reprehensible, condemnable and unacceptable", Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

"It is a complete failure of law and order machinery and rule of law. Was B S Yediyurappa government sleeping or waiting for violence to happen?" Surjewala said in a tweet.

"Why did the police not act in time? Who is responsible for 3 deaths?" he asked.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal, said the violence in Bengaluru is "unfortunate and condemnable".

"Strict action should be taken against those behind the derogatory post and those who indulged in rioting," he said on Twitter.

"Taking law into their hands and destroying public property shouldn't be tolerated. Let peace prevail and let law take its course," Venugopal said.

Three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage in a Bengaluru locality irked over a social media post allegedly put out by a Congress legislator's relative.