I considered Muslims as my brothers and lived like one for the last 25 years at the least…yet today I lost my 50-year-old house, said Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy as he broke down during a press conference on Wednesday.
During the recent Bengaluru riots, rabid Islamists ran amok, resorting to stone-pelting, arson and vandalism. A huge mob of Muslims rampaged on the streets and burnt down the house of a Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, attacked the DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations, torched police vehicles and numerous other vehicles and caused immense damage to public property.
They burned down my brother’s house too: Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy cried at the press conference
Reminiscing the horrifying incident, the Congress MLA said that a mob of 3000-4000 Muslim rioters arrived at his house, pelted stones, poured petrol, burnt tires and set the house on fire. “They attacked with swords, hatchets, sticks and also threw petrol bombs at my residence”, he recollected.
Breaking down on camera, the MLA stated that the house is where he had grown up with his siblings and has been living with his parents. The family has been living there for the last 50 years, he said. MLA Srinivas Murthy is from the Dalit community and despite a heavy Muslim vote share in his constituency, has been winning since last 4 terms with a good margin. He is also reported to have a good relationship with local Muslim leaders.
The MLA also blamed ‘outsiders’ for instigating the riots and urged the local residents to help him nab the culprits.
The Congress MLA requests a CBI or CID inquiry in the case
“Question arises as to how can I protect common citizens if this is what a lawmaker has to suffer”, Murthy lamented, urging the Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa and home minister Amit Shah to provide him and his family members adequate security. He requested that the case be handed over to the CBI, or CID for a thorough investigation.
“Being a lawmaker and having won by the biggest margin in Karnataka, this is my condition today. What could be the condition of other lawmakers?”, he asked.
Congress link emerges in Bengaluru riots
Meanwhile, details which had emerged soon after the horrific riots, hint that Kaleem Pasha, the husband of the corporator from Nagawara Irshad Begum, along with other SDPI leaders orchestrated the riots.
Kaleem Pasha, who is a former corporator of Nagawara ward, reportedly has close links with the Congress leadership in the state and is known to be an associate of former Karnataka Home Minister and senior Congress leader KJ George. His Facebook profile also highlights the fact that he was an active Congress worker. Pasha was booked by Bengaluru police along with local SDPI leader Muzammil Pasha for orchestrating the Bengaluru violence.
