Conspiracy behind Dec 19 violence: C T Ravi

A conspiracy to destabilise the BJP government in Karnataka was behind the violent protests against Citzenship Amendment Act (CAA) here on December 19, state Tourism and Kannada Culture Minister C T Ravi said Thursday.

Addressing reporters here, he alleged that the nexus between Congress and Muslim outfits SDPI and PFI has become clearer now.

The protests against CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), were pre-planned, he said.

The protests were held when section 144 was declared in the city police commissionerate.

"Who is responsible for the violence that ensued claiming the lives of two persons in firing?" he asked.

He charged the Congress with instigating violence in which public property worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed.

Still the Opposition party was claiming that it was a peaceful protest, he said.

Two persons were killed in a police firing in Mangaluru last Thursday as the protest against the CAA had turned violent, following which the city was brought under curfew and mobile internet service was suspended.