India, Jan. 7 -- Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in Wednesday said that the Congress party's fact-finding committee report had found out that removal of the Valmiki banner had triggered the Ballari violence.

Addressing a press conference, the DCM said, "The decision of the local leaders to erect a statue of Maharshi Valmiki was right. The people of the district had welcomed the statue into Ballari with celebrations from December 24 to 29. A banner was installed on January 1 about the Valmiki statue. If Janardhan Reddy or Sriramulu had any objections to Valmiki or the community, they should have approached the Corporation Commissioner, police department or the MLAs about the banners. Instead, they have forcibly removed it themselves. ...