Anti-CAA violence: Ex-gratia to kin of police firing victims put on hold

Bengaluru: In a sign that the state government is not going to buy in to the opposition’s trope that the anti-CAA protests were not pre-planned, the ex-gratia payment announced by the Karnataka government to the families of two men killed in police firing during anti-CAA protests in Mangaluru has been put on hold until investigations are complete, chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa said on Wednesday.  

Mr Yediyurappa who met reporters after a marathon meeting with senior officials of the Dakshina Kannada district, and had been brought up to speed by officials on the riots, admitted that earlier, the government had decided to give compensation to the families of the two men shot dead by police in the December 19 incident, and had announced an ex gratia of `10 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the firing.  

“But now we have put it on hold,” the chief minister said, adding “we have decided to not give the ex gratia to the family members of those killed in the police firing as yet because giving criminals ex gratia is an unpardonable crime in itself.” “There are allegations against them and their names are in the FIR. We have not taken final decision (on providing compensation),” he said, stressing that the government will not provide compensation if their role in the violence was proved.

Mr Yediyurappa was in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district to participate in a series of programmes. On his arrival in Mangaluru, the Chief Minister held a high level meeting that included senior police officials like the IGP, Commissioner of Police, District Deputy Commissioner, MPs and MLAs.

Sources said that the chief minister was given a detailed  brief on the recent developments related to the incident and the investigation from the police. The CM, who returned from Kerala on Tuesday night and met police overnight, directed the police officials to take necessary steps to ensure peace in the region, identify the hooligans who rioted on December 19, ascertain the background of those involved in arson, 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," Yediyurappa said.Noting that the violence was carefully planned, the Chief Minister slammed the opposition for making 'baseless' charges against his government. "When 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. Evidence clearly show their (rioters) involvement in the arson and loot," Mr. Yediyurappa said in reply to a query that the opposition was blaming him and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai for the police firing.    

The chief minister had faced the ire of people at Kannur in Kerala on Tuesday when his convoy was attacked by a group of people protesting the detention of journalists from the state, while covering the violence during anti-CAA stir in Mangaluru.