Bajrang Dal Activist's Murder: Karnataka Home Minister Blames Islamist PFI, Rightwing Outfits For Organised Crime In The Region

A day after a Bajrang Dal activist was hacked to death in broad daylight in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka Home minister Ramalinga Reddy blamed the Islamist, Popular Front of India and right wing outfits for their "organised crime" in the region.

Rao, who was associated with Bajrang Dal, was killed in broad daylight yesterday by four assailants who came in a car.

All the four were arrested after a hot chase by the police.

Reddy gave the names of the arrested as Naushad, Pinky Nawaz, Rizwan and Nirshan.

Maintaining that there was no intelligence failure, he said it is difficult to get specific information in the case of "organised crime."

The minister admitted that 19 people associated with the BJP, RSS or Bajrang Dal have been killed in the state over a period of time but said in at least eight cases, the reasons were personal.

"I checked and found that 11 BJP/RSS/Bajrang Dal workers were killed in their confrontation with Popular Front of India," Reddy said.

The rest were murdered due to personal reasons related to property dispute and old rivalry, he said.

"Those eight were indeed RSS members but the reasons were different," the minister added.

He said six PFI workers too lost their lives. 

Reddy flayed the BJP for claiming that every Hindu murdered in Dakshina Kannada district were its workers.

The minister challenged the BJP to ban PFI or SDPI, saying that it was the Centre's prerogative to ban any political party.

Reddy wanted to know why the previous BJP government in Karnataka did not ban the PFI.

Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is PFI's political wing.

In the case of Rao, Reddy said a detailed probe will reveal whether he and the accused had any political affiliation.

He said the case seems to be related to personal animosity over pasting of posters.

"Rao was videographing the putting up of posters, which the other group members wanted to be deleted. It is said he (Rao) refused," Reddy said.

The minister slammed BJP leaders for alleging that the Congress indulged in the "politics of cadaver."

"Weren't there murders happening during the previous BJP regime in Karnataka?," he asked.

In BJP ruled Haryana, 37 people were killed recently in clashes related to Baba Ram Rahim of Dera Sacha Sauda, he alleged.