Honnavar (ENS): Continuing his visit in costal area of the state on Wednesday, BJP national president Amit Shah landed in Honnavar of Uttara Kannada district to meet parents of Paresh Mesta, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a lake in the town after communal violence. However, Shah abruptly ended his poll-bound Karnataka tour due to ill health.
The death of Paresh led to protests and violence in the district as the Hindu outfits had claimed him as their activists and alleged that he was deliberately killed. Since Shah visited families of slain members of Hindu outfits in Dakshina Kannada district, the party also chose to take its president to Paresh’s residence.
Shah along with BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde and MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri visited Paresh’s house.Shah held conversation with Kamalakar Mesta, father of the deceased for over 20 minutes and consoled him assuring that the party will stand in support of the family, said sources.
According to sources, Shah was told how Paresh Mesta was allegedly murdered and how the state government tried to destruct the evidence of the case.
Shah, who has been suffering from health problem, cut short the Karnataka visit and flew back to New Delhi transiting at Hubballi airport. He was supposed to participate in Navashakti Samavesh in Kumta and visit Gokarna’s Sri Mahabaleshwar temple, but all these engagements were cancelled. He did not meet the party workers in Hubballi airport either and boarded the special flight as soon his chopper landed there.
Kamalakar Mesta expressed deep displeasure over probe being conducted into the death of his son. “Two months after handing over the case to CBI, none of the office came to us to inquire about the death of my son. Therefore, we demanded Shah to handover the case to National Investigation Agency (NIA) from CBI. Denying our demand Shah assured that the case will be investigated by superintendent of police rank CBI officer,” he said. Kamalakar Mesta thanked Shah for visiting his house and sharing his grief and pain.
However, it was expected that Shah will extend some financial help to Mesta family as he did with kins of Deepak Rao who was killed in Dakshina Kannada. But in Honnavar, Amit Shah has not given any compensation from the party to Kamalakar Mesta and it disappointed local BJP leaders a lot.
The BJP workers and thousands of people including women gathered near Mesta’s house to see Amit Shah. The police struggled to control the crowd as the road leading to Paresh’s house is quite narrow