Ex-Lokayukta of Karnataka blames both AAP, BJP for clash

Bangalore: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde today said the attack on BJP headquarters in Delhi suggested it was planned by AAP but held both “guilty”, saying the two sides looked prepared for the clash. “I get a feeling, yes they (AAP members) were prepared for this… and obviously it was planned. Otherwise why will they go to the BJP office armed with lathis if it was a peaceful protest,” he told PTI here. Hegde, a former Team Anna member at the height of the anti-corruption crusade by Anna Hazare, said, “You can’t gather 400-500 people in 5-10 minutes unless they have all been called in advance. It looks both sides were prepared for that. I strongly condemn it.” Blaming both AAP and BJP, Hegde said such a clash will not occur without the support of their leaders. “None of this type of attack or counter-attack would ever occur without the support of their leaders. It can never be spontaneous. How can people in Lucknow and Delhi react to it?” he said. [caption id=“attachment_1422341” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP.[/caption] “I have seen photographs of people carrying lathis and all. I have seen BJP people carrying lathis. Obviously, both sides were ready for this and Lucknow also saw the same thing. Both are guilty,” Hegde added. On the repurcussions of the clash on AAP’s Lok Sabha poll prospects, he said it sends a wrong signal to the youth and will have a very serious law and order situation in the elections as it seems to be hotly contested. Hegde said it is “disgusting” to see two political parties clashing over issues which he thought didn’t require such reactions. “There is nothing to choose from the people involved in rioting,” he added. Leaders of both the parties should take this seriously and stop such incidents from recurring in future, Hegde said. Was Gujarat government right in detaining Arvind Kejriwal? Hegde said “there could be more than one views about that.” “The police has all the authority to question Kejriwal to stop him for violating the poll code conduct. It could be other way round using poll conduct to detain a person. It could be both ways it all depends upon the intent of police officer,” he said. PTI