Shah, HDK spar over Rahul event; file police complaints

BJP national president Amit Shah and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy locked horns on Tuesday over Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s event in Bengaluru where some pro-Modi techies were allegedly held by the police.

The BJP chief, in his tweet, tagged a post by his party’s state unit that claimed the Bengaluru police had arrested some techies for raising pro-Modi slogans at Manyata Tech Park in Bengaluru, where Gandhi interacted with entrepreneurs and software professionals.

“Hugs for ‘Tukde Tukde’ gang and arrest of peaceful youth raising pro-Modi slogans? Where are the champions of ‘Free Speech’? Yuvraj (prince) of Congress must know that time follows the course taken by youngsters. Stop intimidating youth of India, which has rejected your brand of politics,” Shah tweeted.

In response, Kumaraswamy hit back at Shah. “I advise Amit Shah to instruct his supporters to behave properly in public. It’s their responsibility. Do they have any decency when some other party’s programme is going on? They should have decency,” Kumaraswamy told reporters.

Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah said no one was arrested, but claimed that BJP-RSS workers attempted instigating the crowd.

“As a precaution, some were taken by the police and later let off. If anybody was arrested, they should have been produced before the court,” he said. “BJP and RSS people came and instigated. They should have some responsibility. We can also cause a disturbance when Modi comes, by chanting Rahul Gandhi’s name,” he said.

Police blamed

Meanwhile, the state BJP submitted a complaint to the city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar, demanding suspension of police officers for their “high handedness” in the illegal detention of four persons who raised pro-Modi slogans.

Addressing the media, BJP MLA R Ashoka charged that the police officers acted as supporters of Congress and demanded an investigation into the incident.

On Monday, several persons chanting the name of Modi in front of Manyata Tech Park were detained by police. Ashoka rejected claims that the youth were BJP workers.

“Four persons were arrested for chanting Modi’s name and were held by the police till 10 pm. They are not BJP workers. But we will do everything to help those who believe in the party,” he said.

Ashoka sought to compare the incident with the silence of the police in the case of Congress leader Belur Gopalakrishna, who called for the “murder of Modi.”

“Similarly, no efforts have been made to trace an accountant of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda though he was caught taking Rs 2 crore.

“Also, the ACB police have not been allowed to investigate the case in which Rs 25 lakh was seized in Vidhana Soudha,” he said.

In a counter-complaint to the city police commissioner, a group of Congress leaders sought to conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident.

“Rahul Gandhi is an SPG protectee. It is essential to thoroughly investigate the persons behind the exercise and their antecedents. We are deeply concerned about the possibility of any physical harm to our leader,” the complaint read.