"How can you call it terror activity without a probe?" DK Shivakumar on Mangaluru blast

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 15 (ANI): Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar has alleged that the cooker bomb explosion in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru last month was declared a "terror activity" without any investigation and it might have been a "mistake".

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Shivakumar also accused the Bengaluru DGP and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of "tarnishing" the image of the state at the global level.

"Why did Karnataka DGP tweet in hurry regarding the Mangaluru cooker blast incident linking it to terrorism? Hours after the Mangaluru blast, he declared the accused a terrorist without any probe, was it an incident similar to the Mumbai terror attack?" Shivkumar said while addressing the reporters today.

He also questioned if the blast was a terror attack and why did not they immediately shift the case to National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Meanwhile, Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra slammed DK Shivakumar over his statement and said, "I condemn DK Shivakumar's statement. He is playing politics to get minority votes. During the Congress government, terrorism was spread like firecrackers during Deepavali."

On November 19, an explosion was reported in an auto-rickshaw.

Auto driver Purushotham, and the prime accused, identified as 24-year-old Mohammed Shariq, were on fire when shopkeepers and local residents rushed to their rescue soon after the blast.

On November 20, Karnataka Police identified the bomber as Karnataka's Thirthahalli-based Mohammed Shariq, a terror accused charged with links to the Islamic State (IS), who is on the run since September 2022. The bomber had suffered nearly 40 per cent burns in the explosion.

A day after the explosion in Mangaluru, Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood on said the mysterious blast was an "act of terror"

The case was later handed over to the NIA. (ANI)