Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP on Friday raised the issue of “threat to burn down the train returning from Ayodhya” in Legislative Council (LC).
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in LC Kota Srinivas Poojari raised the issue in the house. “The miscreants have threatened devotees of Ram who were returning from Ayodhya. They threaten to burn down the train but the police have released the accused after detaining them,” he said.
“I am forced to remember the Godhra killings. The government must answer,” Poojari said.
The Chairman Basavaraj Horatti said that it is incorrect to raise the matter in the house without intimating through a proper notice.
He said that he will allow the discussion on the matter during zero hour after the question and answer session.
On Thursday night, devotees from Ayodhya were returning to Mysuru in a special train. When the train stopped near Hospet Railway Station in Vijayanagara district, a group of four youth belonging to the minority community tried to get into the bogey number 2 reserved for devotees.
When the passengers stopped them and explained to them not to board the bogey, the youth got into an argument with the passengers. The youth allegedly threatened that the train is not theirs and they will burn it down.
The passengers strongly protested and staged a protest demanding immediate arrest of the youth. The police, who were present, intervened and allowed them to travel in another bogey. The passengers, outraged by the act, got down and staged a protest at the railway station for more than an hour.
After coming to know about the development, Hindu activists and Bajrang Dal members rushed to the railway station and joined them in protest.
Vijayanagara SP Srihari Babu B.L. also rushed to the spot and assured the passengers and Hindu activists that they will file an FIR and arrest the miscreants.
Later, the passengers agreed to board the train and continue the journey.
Earlier, the Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad had said that a Godhra-like incident is possible in Karnataka.
“The Karnataka government should be alert because in Gujarat during the same occasion, the Kar Sevaks were set on fire at Godhra,” Hariprasad had said, triggering a huge controversy.
Karnataka Police has arrested one person on Friday in connection with the issuing threat while a hunt has been started to arrest others as well.
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