Bengaluru riots: How turf war among 4 leaders fuelled a minor issue

 

Vehicles were burnt and the house of MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and DJ Halli police station were set ablaze ...Read More

BENGALURU: Turf war between four politicians, including three former ministers, might have led to the snowballing of a petty issue into a full-blown riot in east Bengaluru on Tuesday night, police sources said citing preliminary investigations.
“The three former ministers felt threatened by the growth of the local MLA, Akhanda Srinivasamurthy. The trio is suspected to have used a former corporator as a cat’s paw to corner the lawmaker. The former corporator too felt his influence was on the wane due to the MLA and saw a chance to resurrect himself by joining forces with the three ex-ministers,” a senior police officer explained.

“The MLA’s growing clout in awarding government and civic tenders was resented by the trio. A few days ago, posters announcing that the MLA was missing along with his photograph had appeared all over Kavalbyrasandra. The matter even reached police, who took an undertaking from the man who distributed and pasted these handbills,” he said.
A Facebook post offending a community’s sensibilities put up by the MLA’s kin provided a perfect opportunity to gang up against the elected representative, he said.