Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai marked one-year anniversary of his government on Thursday in the wake of BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru's death.
"There is anger in our hearts following this killing. This incident within a few months after Harsha's (Bajarang Dal activists) murder in Shivamogga has pained me," Bommai said.
Praveen Nettar, 32, a Zilla BJP Yuva Morcha committee member was hacked to death in front of his broiler shop in Bellare by bike-borne miscreants on Tuesday night. Protesting the murder, shop owners in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district downed shutters on Wednesday in response to a bandh call given by the VHP to protest the killing of the BJP youth wing leader.
Anger and grief were writ large on the faces of youth workers who gathered for the funeral procession of the slain leader on Wednesday.
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.
BJP state president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel sought to pacify the party workers, saying their anger and disappointment was understandable.
Over 15 detained for interrogation
More than 15 people have been detained for interrogation in connection with the murder of Nettar, police said.
Addressing reporters in Sullia taluk of the district, ADGP (Law and Order) Alok Kumar, who visited Bellare area of the taluk where the incident happened and took stock of the situation, said a probe is underway from all angles.
As of now, it cannot be certain that those who have been taken into custody are involved in the murder or they had helped in executing the crime, he said.
Kumar said six teams have been formed with the help of the Mangaluru city police commissioner and Udupi police.
Police had to resort to mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control when emotions ran high and some people tried to topple the vehicle of BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel on Wednesday, he said.
Dakshina Kannada district Deputy Commissioner K V Rajendra, Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Bhagawan Sonawane and other officials were present.
Union minister Shobha Karandlaje seeks NIA probe
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting that the probe into the murder of Nettar be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Condemning the murder, Karandlaje, who represents Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha, blamed Muslim fundamentalists and organisations like PFI, SDPI and similar groups for the murder, and continued radicalisation of Dakshina Kannada district.
Radical outfits trying to disrupt the harmony in the district are behind the murder, she said.
Pointing out that a motorbike bearing a Kerala registration number was used to attack Nettar, Karandlaje said a comprehensive probe is necessary to find out whether the assailants belonged to radical groups from Kerala.
(with inputs from PTI)
