Bengaluru, Apr 20: As many as 59 people were arrested on Monday for attacking police and health officials at the minority dominated Padarayanapura in the city when they went to quarantine some people, police said.
"Fifty-nine people have been arrested (in Padarayanapura) and have been taken into custody. The people attacked the officials who had gone to quarantine some poeple who were the primary and secondary contacts of three COVID-19 patients," a police officer said.
A large number of people, mostly youth from the minority community poured on to the road on Sunday and thrashed the health workers who had gone to quarantine some people who were the primary and secondary contacts of the health workers.
The officials were allegedly beaten black and blue.
Some local residents who went to the rescue of these officials were also thrashed.
According to police, one among the arrested is a woman by name Firoza who had allegedly instigated the mob to attack the health and police officials.
Subsequently, a large number of police personnel were deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident and to quarantine those who are suspected to be infected with COVID- 19.
Blowing sirens, a strong contingent of policemen carried out a flag march in the area.
The Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao later called on Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and briefed him about the situation in Padayarayanapura.
The violent incident drew angry reactions from various quarters.
Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said an incident like the one at Padayarayanapura will not be tolerated.
"I met Chief Minister and briefed him about the incident. He has told us to act strictly. I have told the same to my officials. We won't tolerate such acts by anyone. We have arrested 59 people. Five FIRs have been registered," the minister told reporters.
Bommai, who visited the area took the senior police officials to task for not being present on the spot when the incident took place.
"Where were you? What were you doing when the incident happened?" he questioned a senior police officer.
"We will demonstrate to the people what is containment zone, what is seal down and what is police action," he said.
Condemning the incident, Health Minister B Srimulu warned those who indulged in such activities.
"The inhuman act of attacking police and health workers in Padarayanapura is highly deplorable. Our government will take appropriate step against those indulging in the attack on health officials and police officials who had gone there to protect them," he tweeted.
BJP's firebrand MP Shobha Karandlaje reacted sharply.
"Seculars attack #CoronaWarriors when they were quarantining the secondary contacts of #Covid19 in Padarayanapura of BLR. While #HealthcareHeroes are working overnight to contain #CoronaPandemic, these morons are assaulting our heroes! Let's not be soft on these anti- nationals!" Karandlaje tweeted.
Meanwhile, the minority leaders called on Congress state president D K Shivakumar to persuade the people of the minority community to assist in identifying the COVID-19 patients or carriers.
Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy too condemned the attack and demanded stringent action against the culprits.
The Congress MLA from the area B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan while condemning the incident, sought to know why the health workers and police officials went to the area late in the night and not in the morning.
"Why did the police and the health workers go in the night when I had told the BBMP Commissioner that I will take them at 10 am?" Khan told reporters.
Defending those who attacked the government officials, Khan said they were uneducated labourers who didn't know what they were doing.
Padarayanapura and Bapuji Nagar were among the first areas to be completely sealed as people were not abiding by the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC.
Comments
Rakesh
why sit in DOHA come to INDIA and start \Swatch Bharath\" before that clean your \"dirty mind\""
nationals=those are protest peacefully .
anti nationals=beating the people, taking law in hand, not respecting supreme court order,abusing people.
now decide who is antinational.
Dear Mohammad and Syed Jubail, Every one has a right to say his opinion or comment on any issues. so please refrain yourself from wrong comments.
Thanks to PFI to register their unhappy on Ananth statement against Islam and Muslims.
#4 RAKESH DOHA, BE CAREFUL YOU ARE NOTED BY PFI ACTIVISTS FROM DOHA.....DONT COMMENT SUCH A HARSH WORD TO MUSLIM COMMUNITY....
Rakesh Doha, Kindly refrain from commenting against muslims as you are in a muslim country and should be thankful that your daily bread is coming from muslims. First clean your thinking SWACH BRAIN
Sagar & Rakesh please give one anti national activity of PFI...
But for RSS so much available....Sindhagi flag, major bomb blast - Ajmer Dargha, Mecca Majsid, samjota Express, demolition of Babri Masjid and lot more...
We all knew after Modi government u all people are frustrated....u all require a change now better all chaddi gang migrate to Nepal because no one will disturb u there...
azadi from PFI, well known anti national group, let me give one example if your true believer of god your should support all the religion. bhagwan commented against hindu god !!! if u people are not anti national u have to protest against that also. clearly pfi related all people and groups are anti national. if u want a wonderful national please avoid protest against the one who commented on u, your god, protest against effects on each and every one,
KICK OUT RSS FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY....THEY DONT DESERVE TO BE A PART OF THIS LOVELY COUNTRY.......I LOVE MY INDIA
I HATE RSS IN INDIA
WE WANT AZAADI FROM RSS, VHP,BD SRS, ANTI NATIONALISTS GROUP....
SAVE INDIA FROM RSS
PFI is only hope for the future
People criticise only those who work for the community....as you see that RSS was attacking MULIMS verbally and physically ....but time has changed .....it now attacks verbally PFI (as it has no guts to face PFI physically) because PFI fight to the limit against any elements which is against our constitution and against any Fascist so called Powers and against Anti nationals like Muthaliks who hoisted Pakistan flags
by the way we forgot that Govts taken the Sindhagi Flag issue than JNU fake slogan issues...this is real Fascism
come on people ...dont here gossips against Popular Front of India ...its all Gossips either from So called Secular Muslim leaders who for their self interest go against it ...or RSS who are seeing PFI as thret to their ultimate Goal of Brahminism INDIA
u guys cannot do anything , what happened to baby nirbhaya ( fake case) , all people know about your community mentality .instead of do some good job like swach bharath . we dont see no proactive lead taken by muslim community on this part .
guilty must be punished, good luck pfi u will get justice.
anti national protest, anti national party of india.
PFI doing good protest, protest till ananth gets maximum punishment.
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