Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee alleged that chief minister B S Yediyurappa and home minister Basavaraj Bommai were directly responsible for the death of two people in police firing.

District Congress Committee president K Harish Kumar, while addressing the media, asked people to maintain peace in the district.

“Two people have been killed and 11 people have been injured in the violence. We condemn the police atrocity against protesters. There was no need to fire on protesters. The protest in Assam and elsewhere in the country was more intense compared to Mangaluru. No person was killed in other parts of the country despite them gathering in large numbers. There was police firing within three hours of the protest. It reminds of the British Raj in Mangaluru,” he alleged.

Firing was pre-planned

He alleged that it was a pre-planned firing. “Chief minister B S Yediyurappa says not to harm anyone, but police are doing the opposite. The government is to save people and not to kill them,” he said.

On the alleged police atrocity in a private hospital in Falnir, Harish alleged that police used tear gas inside the hospital premises and entered the intensive care unit. They have vandalised hospital property and also caused harassment to patients.

“No where in the history of Mangaluru, have we witnessed police entering a hospital and vandalising it. Apart from it, police were also seen harassing lone woman travellers. Where is the Beti Padhao Beti Bachao campaign?” he questioned.

‘Tear gas fired around hospital’

Mithun M Rai, president of the Youth Congress, alleged that tear gas was fired for several hours around the hospital. “It not only affected patients and their caretakers, but also nearby residents. The children were the most affected,” he added.

Former minister B Ramanatha Rai alleged that it is a “golibar assassination”. There was no need to clamp prohibitory orders but the government has still gone ahead with it, he said.