Bengaluru, Karnataka govt is yet to take a decision on banning the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and its affiliated Popular Front of India (PFI) for their alleged role in the city's eastern suburb riots last week, a minister said on Thursday.
"Though the issue of banning the fringe political outfits SDPI and PFI was discussed in the cabinet meeting, no decision was taken, as the investigation into the riots was in progress and inquiry into their role is pending," state law minister J.C. Madhuswamy told reporters here in Kannada.
Some members of the SDPI were booked and arrested after the violence on August 11, as they allegedly instigated the miscreants to go on a rampage, leading to arson and rioting in the area and subsequent police firing to control the volatile situation. Three youth had been killed in the violence.
"All legal options are being studied on how to deal with them (outfits). As of now, there is no evidence of their role in the riots in the police report. Action will be taken after we receive the report," Madhuswamy said.
Several ruling party members and many organisations have urged the state government to ban these outfits for allegedly disrupting peace and harmony in the society. The minister assured that the culprits involved in the mob violence would be punished.
The house of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy from Pulakeshinagar and the local police station in the D.J. Halli area were set on fire. A number of police and private vehicles were also destroyed in the riots.
State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said on August 13 that as per the information gathered and video footage, the role of SDPI the mob violence had come to light and investigation was on to ascertain the charge.
The SDPI, however, denied its role in the violence and blamed the city police for delaying acting against the accused Naveen, a relative of Murthy, who posted a derogatory post on facebook which triggered the riots.
Over 300 people, including Arun Pratap, the personal assistant of the former city mayor and local civic ward corporator Sampat Raj of the opposition Congress were arrested for instigating the riots and destroying public property.