Bengaluru, Karnataka’s BJP ministers condemned the alleged attack on the convoy of state Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa at Kannur on Tuesday by some activists and blamed the Kerala government for the security lapse.
“We condemn the attack on our Chief Minister’s convoy at Kannur by DYFI activists and hold the Kerala government responsible for the security breach,” state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters here.
The sudden attack on two cars of the convoy forced Yediyurappa to cut short his two-day visit to the neighbouring state and return to Bengaluru safely by Tuesday evening.
A dozen activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) ran to the middle of the road and blocked the convoy from proceeding to Rajarajeshwara temple at Thaliparamba. Waving black flags and shouting “go back, go back”, the activists hit the two cars with sticks and other objects.
“Though the Chief Minister was on a private visit to the state since Monday, his protocol office informed the Kerala government on Saturday about his trip and requested it to provide security to him. The Kerala Police failed to comply with the request and risked Yediyurrappa’s security,” Bommai said.
The activists were protesting against the Karnataka government’s decision to implement the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the alleged detention of Kerala journalists at Mangaluru in the state’s coastal area on December 19 when they went to cover the violence-hit protests against the CAA.
On Monday, 13 Kerala Students Union activists were arrested for blocking Yediyurappa’s convoy in Thiruvananthapuram when he was on way to visit the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple.
“The attack on our Chief Minister’s convoy is a serious issue. It shows the breakdown of law and order in Kerala. It’s a failure of the police in protecting Yediyurappa and preventing the violent attack on his convoy for the second time,” lamented state Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan here.
State Panchyat Raj Minister K. Eshwarappa and BJP’s state unit President Nalin Kumar Kateel also condemned the attack on the Chief Minister’s convoy and urged the Kerala government to act against the culprits.
