BS Yediyurappa said he has directed the police to identify the people who rioted on December 19
The Rs 10 lakh compensation announced by the Karnataka government to the families of two people killed in police firing during anti-CAA protests in Mangaluru has been put on hold till investigations are completed, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Wednesday.
Soon after the December 19 incident, the state government had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the family of those killed in the firing.
"We have not decided yet to give the exgratia to the family members of those killed in the police firing because giving criminals exgratia is an unpardonable crime in itself.
"Earlier, the government had decided to give them compensation, but now we have put it on hold," Mr Yediyurappa told reporters after a marathon meeting with the senior officials of the Dakshina Kannada district.
The Chief Minister returned from Kerala on Tuesday night and held a series of meetings with the officials in the night as well as in the morning.
He said he has directed the police to identify the people who rioted on December 19, book cases against them and initiate stringent action.
"It is now clear that it (Mangaluru protest) was a conspiracy. People tried to barge into the armoury of the police station. We are not going to spare anybody," Mr Yediyurappa said.
Noting that the violence was a meticulous conspiracy, the Chief Minister said stones hurled at police were brought in an autorickshaw-trolley and dumped.
The government would ascertain the background of those involved in arson and violence and arrest all those involved in the crime, he added.
Slamming the opposition for making ''baseless'' charges against his government, Mr Yediyurappa said, "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. Evidences clearly show their (protesters) 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 faced the ire of people at Kannur in Kerala 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.