SDPI stoked B’luru riots, says NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found evidence to prove that it was the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) that was behind the violence that rocked Bengaluru on August 12 last year.

The chargesheet filed before a special court here said the SDPI hatched a conspiracy to create communal disharmony in the country. "The SDPI in Bengaluru was unhappy with the decisions of the Union government on certain matters which are repeal of Article 370, issue of CAA/NRC, Supreme Court verdict on Babri Masjid case, Triple Talaq etc. They were waiting for an opportunity to create communal disharmony and thereby create unrest in the country,” the media quoted excerpts from the chargesheet.

The moment it got an opportunity, the SDPI torched the house of Dalit Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy and two police stations. Though the triggering point was allegedly a Facebook post by the MLA’s nephew Naveen, there was a larger conspiracy, the NIA said. The NIA chargesheet said that SDPI cadres provoked him with a derogatory message to insult Hindu gods in a social media post and tagged him to incite violence.

After prime accused Fairoz Pasha joined the SDPI, Mohamed Shariff, Muzammil Pasha and other SDPI Bengaluru district leaders hatched a criminal conspiracy, the chargesheet said.

"In furtherance to the conspiracy, they decided to post some derogatory message to insult and provoke Hindu gods and the Hindu community through Fairoz Pasha's Facebook account," the NIA said. The conspirators intentionally selected August 11, 2020 because it was ‘Krishna Janmashtami’, an auspicious day for Hindus.

Naveen responded with blasphemous posts against Prophet Mohammed. Fairoz then approached Muslim community members and organisation leaders for lodging a complaint against him and pressurise the police and government to act against Naveen, it said. The post was widely circulated in WhatsApp and other social media accounts.