The vandalism that followed an inflammatory Facebook post and the police firing which cost the lives of three youngsters in Bengaluru on Wednesday point to the urgent need for the authorities to be on a state of high alert against attempts to flame communal passions and throw life into disarray.
Hurting religious sentiments is a punishable offence in India.
So, anyone who does it knows about its implications, and as such, must be brought to book.
The same logic works for believers, too, and they must know that the legal system is capable of dealing with deliberate attempts to denigrate religious figures.
The Bengaluru rioters deserve no mercy as they torched the home of a legislator, set fire to vehicles and even attacked a police station.
The Social Democratic Party of India, which now stands accused of having a role in the violence, has a history of portraying themselves as the champions of the Muslim cause in India while pursuing an often-counterproductive path of violence to achieve their ends.
Such forces must be made to understand that rule of law prevails in the country.
The BJP, which is ruling the state, was quick to condemn the riot and blame “appeasement” saying the Congress was silent about the vandalism though a Congress legislator, who is a dalit, was at the receiving end.
The Opposition party must respond to the charge and take an unequivocal stand against communal elements in society.
Bengaluru police stopped the violence from turning into a communal riot.
However, the assertions by the ministers and senior police officials that the violence was planned beg the question why the police did not take preventive action.
They must do more and prevent its recurrence. This country can ill-afford more calamities, manmade or otherwise.
