Tamil Nadu bus torched in Bangalore, two killed

BURN OUT: Miscreants set the bus, carrying 26 passengers, on fire near Bangalore.

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Bangalore: The Ram Setu controversy seems to have spilled over to Karnataka from Tamil Nadu. In Bangalore, two people were killed in two incidents of violence that erupted over the issue on Tuesday night.

In the first incident, a Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation bus carrying 26 passengers was attacked in Bangalore and two people were charred to death.

Sources say unknown assailants stopped the bus on the National Highway 7 near Madiwala, doused it with petrol and set it on fire.

Though most passengers escaped, two of them did not have the time to get out of the bus. The dead have not yet been identified as their bodies were charred beyond recognition.

“One truck came in front of the bus and stopped it. Four to five people got inside and threw petrol cans, I was the last to come out of the bus,” said a passenger Stalin.

While police say the intention of the miscreants was not to “harm anyone but only create a sensation”, they have not yet confirmed if the attack was related to the Sethusamudram row.

Traffic movement came to a stand-still on Hosur Road, resulting in a massive traffic jam.

In the second incident of violence, suspected Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists attacked the house of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter, Selvi, to protest DMK's stance on the issue.

They pelted stones at the house – located in J P Nagar 9th Block near the Ragigudda Temple Main Road - and even left a threatening note written in Kannada.

“Two to three window panes were broken. The watchman was injured. They have left som ehints, but we have to find out who they were. We have posted two constables at the house after the incident,” said DCP, Bangalore (South), Alok Kumar.

Tuesday's attacks in Bangalore come even as Karunanidhi is under fire for his comments on Lord Ram.

A known atheist, Karunanidhi had questioned the existence of Ram while addressing a rally in Erode on Sunday.

(With inputs from Deepa Balakrishnan)