Bangalore: The ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh each announced by the Karnataka government to the families of the two people killed in the police firing during anti-CAA protests in Mangaluru has been withdrawn, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said Wednesday.
Soon after the incident which occurred December 19, the Karnataka government had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the firing.
“We have not decided yet to give the ex-gratia to the family members of those killed in the police firing because giving criminals ex-gratia is an unpardonable crime in itself. Earlier, the government had decided to give them compensation, but now we have withdrawn it,” Yediyurappa told reporters after a marathon meeting with the senior officials of the Dakshina Kannada district.
The Chief Minister returned Tuesday night from Kerala and held a series of meetings with the officials. He said he has directed the police to identify the hooligans who rioted December 19, book cases against them and initiate stringent action.
“It is now clear that it (Mangaluru riot) was a conspiracy. People tried to barge into the armoury of the police station. We are not going to spare anybody,” asserted Yediyurappa.
Noting that the violence was a meticulous conspiracy, Yediyurappa said stones hurled at police were brought in an autorickshaw-trolley and dumped. The government would ascertain the background of those involved in arson and violence and arrest all those involved in the crime, the chief minister informed.
Slamming the opposition for making ‘baseless’ charges against his government, Yediyurappa said, “When the brain does not function properly the opposition members talk like that. Those poor people don’t have any other issue to raise, so they give such irresponsible statements. Evidences clearly show their (rioters) involvement in the arson and loot,” Yediyurappa said in reply to a query that the opposition was blaming him and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai for the police firing.
PTI