Mysuru: KPCC spokesperson M. Lakshmana has claimed that the Police have arrested innocent individuals in connection with the stone-pelting case at Udayagiri Police Station.

Speaking at a press conference at the Congress office in the city yesterday, he stated that a team of lawyers has been formed to assist those wrongly arrested. “There is no objection to action against those who rioted, but innocent people should not be trapped,” he stressed.

He accused the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka, of intimidating the Police, leading them to file an FIR out of fear. Lakshmana further claimed that while Congress leaders were denied entry into the Police Station, BJP leaders were allowed inside.

Questioning whether BJP leaders had the authority to hold a meeting within the Police Station, he alleged that the Police deliberately delayed filing the case. “If a complaint is lodged in the morning, they register the case only in the evening. This practice must be reviewed and an impartial investigation should be conducted,” he asserted.

Reacting to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s praise for the Police crackdown on miscreants, Lakshmana categorically said that the Police might have misinformed him without painting the actual picture. He also dismissed reports that the stone-pelting was sparked by posters of Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal, stating that it was instead triggered by derogatory remarks against religious leaders. Refusing to elaborate further, he maintained that the focus should be on addressing the real cause of the unrest.

Commenting on the riot near Udayagiri Police Station, Lakshmana took a jibe at the opposition BJP, claiming that R. Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy were being used by the RSS to “wash their dirty linen.”