Shivakumar objects to terror tag for Mangaluru blast sans probe

Bengaluru, Dec 15 Congress' Karnataka chief D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday questioned the BJP government's intentions on terming the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case as a terror activity without a proper investigation.

He also accused the ruling BJP of using the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case to divert public attention from the voters list data scam in Bengaluru.

In an interactive session with media persons here, Shivakumar questioned the haste with which the Mangaluru incident was declared a terror activity by the state's DGP.

"According to the BJP government, it was a cooker blast. But where was the cooker and where did the terrorist come from? It was you who planted it and the DIG urgently visited the spot. The cooker blast case was nothing but an attempt to divert the attention from vote-gate scam," he alleged.

Mohammed Shariq, who was carrying the pressure cooker containing explosive substances, is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital for injuries sustained in the blast that rocked the autorickshaw he was travelling in.

Shivakumar claimed that the BJP government is resorting to such tactics ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls in an effort to deflect criticism over its adminstrative lapses by rousing religious sentiments.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra attacked Shivakumar for playing politics on the issue and casting aspersions on the police's professionalism. "He is trying to demoralise the police department," he claimed.

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