Bengaluru cafe blast: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah assures action, urges opposition not to politicize

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pledged to take appropriate action in response to the blast at Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, urging the BJP not to politicize the incident. Speaking in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah emphasized the ongoing comprehensive investigation to determine the motives and identify the perpetrators. He stated, “A person wearing a mask and cap came in a bus, fixed the timer and exploded it. The deputy CM and Home Minister visited the spot yesterday. I will also go to the hospital and the spot today.”

Responding to BJP’s accusations of minority appeasement leading to such incidents, Siddaramaiah pointed out past incidents and said, “A bomb exploded in their time too, what did they do when the Mangalore cooker bomb exploded? Was it appeasement even then?” He urged the opposition not to politicize the issue, emphasizing that the Mangalore blast and Bengaluru explosion are unrelated, and that the blast is still under investigation.

Siddaramaiah called for a meeting with senior police officers on Saturday afternoon to discuss the blast incident. State Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed the meeting, stating, “We have a meeting at 1 pm, the CM will lead the meeting, higher police officers will attend the meeting regarding the blast.”

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar mentioned that seven to eight teams have been formed to probe the blast. “It was a low-intensity blast. A youth came and kept a small bag, which exploded after an hour. About 10 people received injuries. 7-8 teams formed to probe the incident. We are looking from all angles. I ask every Bangalorean not to worry,” he said.

In contrast, BJP leader Tejasvi Surya criticized Siddaramaiah, saying that he should allow agencies to investigate freely and accusing the state government of changing its narrative on the incident. The blast at Rameshwaram Cafe on Friday afternoon left at least 10 people injured.