#BengaluruRiots “I considered Muslims as my brothers for the last 25 years…yet today I lost my 50 year old house”, Dalit MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy whose house was burned down by a Muslim mob

The Bengaluru Riots of August 11 has shocked the citizens of the country yet again after the Delhi riots, given the manner in which it was executed. A huge mob of Muslims come on the streets within minutes and burned down the house of a Dalit MLA, a police station, police vehicles, fire engines and numerous other vehicles and cause immense damage to public property, allegedly angered over a FB post by the MLA’s nephew.

The MLA from the Pulikeshinagar constituency has been winning for the last 4 terms by handsome margins. Poll records show that despite the constituency having a large number of Muslims voters, the Dalit leader managed to win everytime backed by the Dalit and Muslim votes. Past news reports show that he had good relations with the Muslim voters of his constituency and had taken up all their requests and adhered to their various demands over the years. Yet, he is on the receiving end of the Muslim anger today.

Akhanda Srinivas Murthy addressed a press conference on Wednesday and cried in front of the media, recalling that he always considered Muslims as his brothers. Narrating the horrifying incident, he said that a mob of 3000-4000 rioters arrived at his house and started a fire, poured petrol and burnt tires. “They attacked with swords, hatchets, sticks and also threw petrol bombs at my residence”, he said.

“This constituency has the maximum number of minorities. We lived as brothers for the last 25 years at the least”, he said while blaming ‘outsiders’ for instigating the mob. “This is the house which I have lived in for 50 years along with my parents. This is the house I grew up in along with 9 other children in a joint family. Today, this house has been completely burnt down. My younger brother’s house was also burned down by the miscreants”, he cried at the press conference.

“Question arises as how can I protect common citizens if this is what a lawmaker has to suffer”, he rued. Not a single similar incident of rioting had happened in the past 25 years, he said. He then plead with the people of his constituency saying that they have lived as brothers and urged everyone to join the fight as brothers. “We will join hands with you and will ensure that the miscreants are punished as per law. Such incidents should not have happened”, he said.

He then requested the Chief Minister and Home Minister to provide him adequate security and protection for him and his family. He also requested that the case should be handed over to CBI, CCB or the CID as deemed fit and based on intelligence reports. “Being a lawmaker and having won by the biggest margin in Karnataka, this is my condition today. What could be the condition of other lawmakers?”, he asked.

While the police FIR points to the fact that the riots were organised and pre-planned with involvement of members from Islamic organisations like the SDPI, a section of the media and the secular Jamaat is busy absolving the rioters using the anti-Islamic FB post as the alibi.