Mangaluru, July 28: The BJP leadership in Karnataka is trying to grapple with the backlash against its state top brass after the brutal killing of youth leader Praveen Nettaru at Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district.
In the aftermath of the murder in the party stronghold of Dakshina Kannada, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced late on Wednesday night that he is cancelling the first-year anniversary celebrations of his government.
A tense atmosphere continues to prevail in Sullia and surrounding areas even though no fresh untoward incident was reported on Thursday.
Anger and grief were writ large on the faces of youth workers who gathered for the funeral procession of the slain leader on Wednesday.
BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is also the local MP, was at the receiving end of the fury as agitators punctured his car and almost toppled it. He managed to leave with the help of the police.
“We will give a befitting reply by arresting all the accused involved in the murder,” Kateel said.
The crowd shouted slogans against RSS leader Kalladka Prabhar Bhat, calling him a ‘dongi’ (cheat). Minister V Sunil Kumar, who is in charge of Dakshina Kannada, Fisheries Minister S Angara and Puttur MLA Sanjeev Matandoor were asked to go back by the crowd.
The conspiracy behind Nettar's murder at Bellare will be revealed and justice will be ensured, Kateel said, adding he will convince the workers who resigned to reconsider their decision.
Kateel's car was blocked for about half an hour before he could move with police security. Kateel said the party is answerable to the workers and the government will take swift action to nab the culprits and expose the conspiracy behind the murder. He said the reported links of the murder to Kerala will also be investigated.
A section of youth workers of the party in Chikkamagaluru announced on Wednesday that they were resigning as the party had failed to protect its own cadre.
The assailants who had attacked Nettar had come on Tuesday night on a motorbike with a Kerala registration number. Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar also assuaged the feelings of party workers, saying seven people have already been taken into custody and the conspiracy behind the murder will be revealed soon.
The government is aware of the anguish of party workers and will take swift action to arrest the culprits, he said.
The incident has also threatened to take a communal turn with suspicions being raised by right-wing outfits that the murder is in retaliation for another killing of a youth belonging to minority community in the same locality recently.
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