After the arrest of former Congress mayor R. Sampath Raj—who had been on the run for the last 40 days—for allegedly hatching the Bengaluru violence on 11 August over an inflammatory social media post, Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R. Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy whose house was torched said he was hurt that his party did not stand by him.
Sampath Raj was named as an accused in the case related to a riots case in the city’s DJ Halli and KG Halli that left four people dead.
“I am surely hurt. My party should stand by me because I am an MLA,” Murthy told reporters when asked if he was in pain after the incident.
To a question on party state chief D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that the BJP was misusing its power by holding Congress leaders responsible for the violence, Murthy said, “It’s before you that my house was torched. I am deeply pained.”
He added that he had met Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah the very next day of the incident and would meet them on Wednesday and demand justice.
When he was reminded of the statement by Congress leaders that Sampath Raj is not guilty until proved by the court of law, Murthy sought to know why he fled if he was not guilty. “If he was not guilty there was no reason for him to flee. He could have directly approached the CCB,” Murthy alleged.
Reacting to Murthy’s statement, Shivakumar said Murthy had not yet spoken to him on the issue and had not met him. He stood by his statement that the BJP has misused its power while in government to defame the Congress in the Bengaluru violence. “To bring a bad name to Congress, this attempt was made,” said Shivakumar.
To a question whether he felt Sampath Raj was framed in the case, he said, “Of course. There is nothing to hide in this matter. It was an attempt to target the Congress.” He added that Congress was not involved and he has seen the charge sheet.
Reacting to the incident, Siddaramaiah said the guilty must be punished. He, however, maintained that filing a charge sheet will not prove the accused persons guilty.
Ever since the Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai charged that the internal strife within Congress led to the violent incident, Congress throughout maintained that it was a conspiracy to defame it.
When Sampath Raj fled the hospital where he had got admitted for coronavirus and remained untraceable, the BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel had alleged that some top Congress leaders were protecting him.
On 11 August night, the vandals, who were about 3,000 to 4,000 in number torched the residence of Murthy, his sister Jayanthi, Devara Jeevanahalli and Kadugondanahalli police stations over an inflammatory social media post by Murthy’s relative.
Four people died including three in the police firing on the night. More than 420 people were arrested in connection with the incident.
Murthy alleged Congress corporator Abdul Rakeeb Zakir and his brother were also involved in the riots who should also be arrested.