Mangaluru City Police on Monday night posted videos on their Facebook page regarding Thursday’s violent incidents during the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Police Commissioner P.S. Harsha had also urged public to share pictures and videos of the violence.
In one of the videos, protesters were seen purportedly damaging CCTV cameras in the trouble-hit State Bank area. Another video showed protesters placing huge pipes and a push cart on Azizuddin Road to prevent entry of police vehicles. The North Police station of Bunder is located in this area. Two people died of bullet injuries in this area when police opened fire, allegedly after the crowd attacked police personnel and station.
Other videos showed protesters pelting stones, bottles etc. at the police and public, blocking roads by burning tyres and placing barricades etc.
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, reacting to the videos, Congress leader and former Minister D.K. Shivakumar demanded to know the need for imposition of Section 144, which had exacerbated the situation. He also demanded to know if it warranted shooting to kill.
“I do not blame the Mangaluru police. The orders for police action came from the Karnataka government and the Home Minister,“ he said. “Without direction of the government, Section 144 could not have been imposed at the first place.”
On the BJP blaming the Congress for the violent turn of incidents, he said, it was resistance by the people and it had to be handled sensitively. He condemned MP Tejaswi Surya’s statement that the anti-CAA protests were being carried out by the “mis-informed and illiterate”. Mr. Surya, participating in a pro-CAA rally, had characterised those protesting against the legislation as “puncturewallahs”, drawing sharp criticism.
