Bengaluru/Karwar: BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the death of Hindu activist Paresh Mesta, as the saffron party stepped up its attack on the ruling Congress for “going soft on terror.”
Karandlaje said, "Mesta was brutally killed by some Muslim goondas in support of the police. Mesta was found dead in Honnavar, Uttara Kannada district on Friday, when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was touring the district. The case was covered up and his body was dumped in a lake because Siddaramaiah was on a tour there,” she said.
“As many as 20 Hindu activists have been killed so far. Siddaramaiah says he’s also a Hindu. But, temples are under scrutiny and Hindus are getting killed. How many more Hindu lives must be claimed? The chief minister should answer this.” she questioned
Honnavar has been tense following violence earlier this week. Karandlaje also accused the government of not acting against the Popular Front of India (PFI) for having links with ISIS.
Separately, former deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka accused the government of going soft on terror. “NIA has said ISIS is behind the killing of BJP workers in Karnataka. The Congress is abetting this,” he said.
Ashoka said the Home Department was dead. “That’s because the department is under the control of the Home minister’s advisor (retired IPS officer Kempaiah),” he said.
A special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh has done nothing, Ashoka charged. “The SIT has no clue about Gauri’s killers. They are diverting by trying to link it with the case of journalist Ravi Belagere. The two are different cases,” he added.
BJP launches district-wide protests on Saturday:
Sirsi protest:
The BJP activists staged the protest at Old Bus Stand and raised slogans against the district administration and the State government.
Addressing the protesters, MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri charged that the death of Hindus has been on the rise after the Congress government came to power in the State. Due to the negligence of the State government, in taking action against the criminals, the crime rate has been on the upswing, he added.
The failure of governance speaks of the inefficiency of the ruling Congress government, he said, adding it gave rise to the suspicion that the police were in cahoots in the Honnavar incident. The case should be taken seriously and an investigation held properly, he demanded.
Karwar protest:
BJP Leader Rupali Naik accused that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s speech during his visit to the district resulted in the communal violence and death of innocent Paresh Mesth. However, the government has not considered this issue seriously, and trying to hide it, she said.
Though officials found lacerated marks of blade and efforts by miscreants to hide the identity of the deceased, investigation has not been quick. The government is trying to protect the culprits, she charged.
Meanwhile, protesters tore Congress Party flags, afloat across the City, during the visit of the Chief Minister. They also tried to remove Congress flexes placed at Mitra Samaja Circle, however, the police prevented them.
Honnavar protest:
Condemning the incident, right-wing activists staged the protest at Saint Thomas School in Durgakeri. They demanded the release of all Hindus arrested without reason, and efforts made to locate Paresh Mesth, a resident of Tulasi Nagar, who had gone missing. BJP Leaders Nagraj Naik, Dinakar Shetty, Umesh Naik, M G Naik and others were present.
Similar protests were also held in Bhatkal, Kumta, Siddapur, and Yellapur on Saturday.