Basavaraj Bommai also announced that a special commando force would be formed in the state to eliminate anti-national and terrorist forces.
Masood B (19), Praveen Nettar (32) and Mohammed Fazil (23) were the three murder victims who lost life in Dakshina Kannada district (Video Grab)
Amid tensions over the murder of a BJP Yuva Morcha member in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the early hours of Thursday, 28 July, announced the cancellation of all events to mark his government’s one year in office.
In a hurriedly-called press conference, Bommai announced the cancellation of an official event in Vidhana Soudha as well as “Janotsava” — a mega rally at Doddaballapur — scheduled to be attended by BJP national president JP Nadda.
“There is anger in our hearts following this killing. This is the second incident within a few months after Bajarang Dal activist Harsha’s murder in Shivamogga. We are cancelling all events to mark one year of the BJP government in the state to pay homage to our slain members,” Bommai said.
The chief minister also announced that a special commando force would be formed in the state to eliminate anti-national and terrorist forces.
According to political experts, the chief minister and senior leaders of the party were forced to call a midnight press conference sighting the anguish of the party workers during the Wednesday funeral procession of Praveen Nettaru — an active member of the BJP youth wing — who was killed by three assailants late on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, infuriated party members tried to topple the car of BJP state president Nain Kumar Kateel and minister-in-charge of the district Sunila Kumar in Puttur as they were on their way to attend Nettaru’s funeral procession in the town of Sullia.
The protestors raised slogans against thein senior leaders and burnt tyres, demanding justice for the slain party member.
“No one cares for the ground workers. See, our leaders are coming at their own time to show their faces,” said a BJP youth wing member.
According to reports, several buses and private vehicles were also vandalised by the BJP workers in various corners of the district.
The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowds as the agitators turned violent and pelted stones.
Soon after the funerals, officer-bearers of the Chikkamagaluru district unit of the BJP Yuva Morcha, along with the presidents of nine mandals, resigned from their positions.
A significant number of resignations was also reported in the Bagalkote and Koppal districts.
“The BJP-led government has failed to protect its own members in the state,” wrote Chikkamagaluru BJP Yuva Morcha media head Pritam Hebbar in his resignation letter.
The BJP state and Central leadership, seeing the anguish and party workers turning against the state government after Nettaru’s killing, promised the strictest action to pacify them.
Caught on the back foot, the BJP leaders cited reports that indicate the involvement of the Popular Front of India and the Social Democratic Party of India — its political wing — in Nettaru’s killing.
“The PFI and SDPI are behind the killing of our party worker, and these organisations are being protected by the government of Kerala and supported by the Congress in Karnataka. But, in our state, there is no talk of letting off the guilty. They will be punished,” said Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an NIA probe into the BJP worker’s murder.
“The government is not a sitting duck over this incident. We will respond to it lawfully. I have the ability to understand your anger,” Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar wrote in a tweet.
ಸರಕಾರ ಈ ಕೃತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕೈಕಟ್ಟಿ ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಕುಳಿತಿಲ್ಲ.
ಕಾನೂನು ಚೌಕಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವ ರೀತಿ ಉತ್ತರಿಸಬೇಕೋ ಉತ್ತರಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಆಕ್ರೋಶವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಶಕ್ತಿ ನನಗಿದೆ— Sunil Kumar Karkala (@karkalasunil) July 27, 2022
The Karnataka Police have arrested two persons suspected of murdering Nettaru. The arrested have been identified as Zakir and Shafiq.
ADGP Alok Kumar said, “One of the arrested, Zakir, has a criminal case against him, and has links with the PFI.”
He added that the police were also investing if Nettaru was killed to avenge the death of Mohammad Masood — a 19-year-old youth allegedly murdered by members of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad last week.
The ADGP added that they have deployed Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) personnel in the Dakshina Kannada district to prevent any untoward incident.
According to Kumar, police teams from Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, and Dakshina Kannada districts are carrying out raids to nab the culprits behind the BJP youth wing member’s murder.
The ADGP added that Bommai, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, and the DGP and IGP of Karnataka are closely monitoring the situation.
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