Bengaluru, Aug 18 (IANS) Some residents half a kilometre away from riot-hit Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy’s residence in Bengaluru’s Kaval Byrasandra area were initially unaware of the riots raging in the vicinity on August 11, and reacted belatedly to set up a makeshift barricade, which ultimately was not erected, said a local resident on Tuesday.
“We did not know what was happening and later started receiving some messages from friends,” a resident from the Brindhavan Layout area in Kaval Byrasandra told IANS, located some 400 metres from Murthy’s house.
Around 10.30 p.m., a few people in the Layout’s local whatsApp group suggested the idea of erecting a barricade with some bamboo poles.
“Though the idea was suggested we never erected the barricade,” said the resident, who did not wish to identify himself.
Incidentally, the Layout’s residents are satisfied with Murthy’s performance as he was approachable and solved their issues.
“We could meet Murthy in his office for solving our problems and he did attend to our issues and resolve them,” said the resident.
According to the local, people in D.J. Halli, Tannery Road and nearby places are the core vote bank of Murthy.
“Without this vote bank, Murthy may not even win his election. He could win because of this vote bank otherwise this seat would go to the BJP,” he said.
Murthy was a former corporator and now a two-time MLA.
He said many people in these areas eke out a living as hawkers, while many are engaged in leather curing on Tannery Road.
These localities with narrow lanes are densely populated.
“It is easier to go to the Majestic bus station, which is farther from my home than to the nearby D.J. Halli police station where I had gone for my passport work,” he observed.
Incidentally, the way to the D.J. Halli police station through Tannery Road is replete with tanneries and stench, the scene of police the firing aimed at controlling the mobs.
A week ago, hundreds of people ran amok after Pulikehsinagar’s MLA Murthy’s nephew P. Naveen posted a derogatory message on social media. Police had to resort to firing to control the mobs. Three youth lost their lives in the violence.
The mobs pelted stones, injured 60 policemen, and committed acts of vandalism and arson in D.J. Halli, K.G. Halli, Pulikeshinagar and Kaval Byrasandra areas, leaving the affected places resembling a war zone.
–IANS
sth/dpb