Bengaluru riots expose complete failure of law and order machinery: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday condemned the violence in Bengaluru in which three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage irked over a social media post, and alleged that it was a "complete failure" of the law and order machinery.

Scores, including around 50 policemen, were injured in the violence that erupted on Tuesday night and continued till the wee hours of Wednesday, apparently triggered by the online post.

Bengaluru violence, riots and arson are "reprehensible, condemnable and unacceptable", Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

"It is complete failure of law and order machinery and rule of law. Was (B S) Yediyurappa government sleeping or waiting for violence to happen?" Surjewala said in a tweet.

"Why did police not act in time? Who is responsible for 3 deaths?" he asked.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal, said the violence in Bengaluru is "unfortunate and condemnable".

"Strict action should be taken against those behind the derogatory post and those who indulged in rioting," he said on Twitter.

"Taking law into their hands and destroying public property shouldn't be tolerated. Let peace prevail and let law take its course," Venugopal said.

The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, said, "Our nation was founded on Mahatma Gandhi's principle of ahimsa and resorting to violence yields nothing. We condemn the violence that has taken place in Bengaluru and urge the people to maintain peace and law and order."

Three people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage in a Bengaluru locality irked over a social media post allegedly put out by a Congress legislator's relative.