Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, 15 July, faced the anger of families of victims of the recent communal clashes in Kerur as they protested against him, demanding justice.
One of the victim's mother threw the cash of Rs 2 lakh that they were offered by Siddaramaiah as compensation.
The incident took place in the leader's constituency, Badami, where he had gone to visit the victims, who had sustained injuries during the clashes, at Ashirwad hospital in Kerur.
In the video, a Muslim woman can be seen throwing the money given by the Congress leader at his convoy. A couple of days ago, the kin of the women seen in the video were attacked in an incident at a dhaba.
The women persisted in their argument with the Congress leader after he had given them one lakh rupees. The subsequent offering of another bundle by him infuriated her further.
The woman was offended by the gesture and flung the bundle of money back at him, demanding justice, not money.
She said, "Siddaramaiah came now and the others leaders also a while back. Everyone comes to seek votes. That time our caste didn't matter, they pleaded for votes with hands folded. After that, nothing. Only if we cast vote they come to power, right? All religions want aid. We have to live in harmony. When someone has something to offer, everyone goes with them. Once it gets over, they also leave. This shouldn't happen."
Kerur Violence
On 5 July 2022, a clash broke out between two groups of different faiths over an alleged case of eve-teasing. According to the police, the violence erupted after a local leader Arun Kattimani, associated with the Hindu Jagaran Vedike, a right wing Hindutva group, accused Muslim men of eve-teasing a Hindu girl.
Angered over allegations made by Arun Kattimani, a group of Muslim men stabbed the Hindu Jagaran Vedike leader and two others.
Eighteen people were arrested and sent to judicial custody following the incident.
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