Local legislators of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) initiated a sit-in demonstration outside the Vidhana Soudha, the epicentre of the Karnataka legislative assembly, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the recent violent incidents, particularly the gruesome murder of a Jain monk.
The demonstration, spearheaded by former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, saw protesters decrying the Congress-led state government for the escalating law and order issues. They took their cause to Raj Bhavan, seeking the intervention of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to restore peace and maintain law and order across the state.
The BJP representatives claim that Kamkumar Nandi Maharaj, a Digambar Jain seer, was discovered in a defunct borewell in the Chikkodi taluk of the Belagavi district on July 8, dismembered and concealed in a plastic bag. They also brought attention to a second incident on July 9, involving the murder of a 32-year-old ‘Yuva Brigade’ member during the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations near T Narasipura in Mysuru district.
The BJP asserts that these are not isolated incidents, alleging a series of targeted violent attacks against individuals affiliated with a certain political group, creating a climate of fear among citizens. These incidents include the murder of a police constable in the Kalaburagi district who tried to curb illegal sand mining operations.
The party also accused the Congress government of enabling anti-national sentiments, citing public proclamations of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in Belagavi and in Bhatkal, and provocative slogans against Hindus. They believe that the state government has utterly failed to ensure law and order.