"Why were senior police officers not present there?": Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra slams Congress govt over Maddur stone pelting

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 10 (ANI): Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra has slammed the Congress government in the State over the stone pelting incident at Maddur in Mandya district during the Ganpati procession a day earlier.
Vijayendra said he and other leaders of the party, including R. Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, CN Ashwathnarayan, will visit Maddur.
"At 10 or 10:30 AM, I, along with R. Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, CN Ashwathnarayan, and other party leaders, will visit Maddur. The cases against anti-national elements who pelted stones at a police station and set it on fire have been withdrawn," Vijayendra told reporters.
He asked whether the police had no information about thousands of Hindu activists participating in the Ganesha immersion procession in Maddur.
"Why were senior police officers not present there? Why did the police allow some people to enter a mosque? Why did the government create such an opportunity?" he asked.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the RSS and the BJP of disrupting peace in the state. He was reacting to the BJP delegation's proposed visit to Maddur.
"The BJP's intention and work is to disturb peace. Earlier, they had organised a Chamundi Betta Chalo rally. RSS members and others from different places had come to Mysuru...They all gathered and worked to disrupt peace," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru.
"Now in Mandya's Maddur, violence has taken place...Before the BJP even said anything, we had already arrested 21 people. Be it Muslim, Christian, or anyone else, we will take action according to the law," he added.
Asked about the BJP delegation's complaint to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the law and order situation in Karnataka, the Chief Minister said," It is the state government's responsibility to maintain law and order. When farmer protests broke out in Delhi, wasn't law and order disturbed then? What happened to law and order in Manipur?"
Meanwhile, there was a heavy police deployment in Karnataka's Maddur town on Tuesday morning after protests broke out on Monday evening against the stone pelting incident.
Markets have been deserted as shops have not opened since last night with the imposition of prohibitory orders. Meanwhile, the Hindu religious organisations in the area are holding a meeting on the issue.
A total of 21 people have been arrested following the stone pelting incident and the subsequent protest which broke out in response. Earlier on Monday, police lathi-charged the protesters in an effort to disperse the crowd. (ANI)