Cars set ablaze during Cong protest, 11 held

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Bengaluru police stepped up vigil after two parked cars were set ablaze during a protest staged by the Congress workers in Bengaluru on Thursday, condemning the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioning of Sonia Gandhi.

The cars were burnt near the ED office in Shanthinagar. At least 11 persons have been detained in connection with the incident. Investigations are being carried out to ascertain the identity of the persons who set the car ablaze as well as the owner of the vehicle. Police suspect that the car belonged to a Congress worker.

Wilson Garden police shifted the burnt vehicle from the spot. In a separate incident, two bikers allegedly poured petrol on a parked car near Sheshadripuram and set it on fire before fleeing from the spot, police sources said. The miscreants are still at large.

Meanwhile, the police have beefed up the security around the area to ensure no untoward incident takes place. Interrogations are underway and further developments will soon be revealed, police said.

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Siddu, DKS lead charge

Congress in Karnataka on Thursday staged a demonstration in the city to protest against the Enforcement Directorate questioning their party president Sonia Gandhi. Congress leaders and workers led by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state president D K Shivakumar took out a rally from the party office on Queen’s Road which culminated with a public meeting at Freedom Park.

Throughout the route, the party leaders and workers holding placards, banners and posters raised slogans against the Central government for harassing Gandhi unnecessarily.

Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah said everyone is equal in India and whoever has done wrong should be punished, but the Central government is misusing the central agencies to harass the opposition, especially Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “The Centre is using CBI, I-T and ED to silence the opposition from raising voice against the burning issues in India,” Siddaramaiah alleged.