Bengaluru Cafe Blast: Karnataka Home Minister Suspects Intention To Deter Investors, BJP Says Congress Hiding Facts

Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, discussed various angles being pursued by the police in relation to the explosion at Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookefield, East Bengaluru, on Friday (1 March).

Parameshwara mentioned that one angle being probed is whether the blast was intended to terrorise Bengaluru ahead of the upcoming elections, as per a report by The New Indian Express.

He noted that as many investors are coming to Bengaluru due to its stable government, the incident might have been aimed at either deterring investors or for other unknown reasons.

The Minister also raised the possibility of business rivals being involved out of jealousy, which is one of the angles being considered.

Regarding the pressure cooker blast in Mangaluru on 19 November 2022, Parameshwara said there were similarities in the assembly of explosives and other equipment between the two incidents, but this does not necessarily mean the same gang was responsible for both.

Parameshwara explained that the bomb at Rameshwaram Cafe was of low intensity, as indicated by the type and quantity of explosives used. He noted that there could have been casualties if the bomb had detonated horizontally, instead of vertically.

Meanwhile, Karnataka's Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader R Ashoka has accused the state government of attempting to manipulate the Forensic Science Labs (FSL) reports regarding the pro-Pak slogans and the Rameshwaram Cafe incidents in Bengaluru.

Ashoka stated, “The Congress government is only trying to hide facts in the Rameshwaram cafe incident. The government did not reveal even a single piece of information about the culprits. They are trying to change the FSL report. This happened also in the incident where ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised in Vidhana Soudha.”

Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai also criticised the government, asserting that such anti-national activities are occurring during its tenure.

He claimed that more than 15 sleeper cells were arrested during his tenure and criticised the current government for what he described as high-level corruption leading to capable police officers being replaced.

Despite these statements, no arrests have been made in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast incident.

The explosion at Rameshwaram Cafe left 10 people injured. The cafe is a popular hangout spot in Bengaluru's Whitefield area, known for its large crowds.