Congress blames BJP for stoking violence in Uttara Kannada

The state government on Tuesday blamed the BJP for "deliberately" provoking violence in Uttara Kannada with an eye on next year's Assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Home Minister R Ramalinga Reddy said five BJP leaders were stoking communal violence in the region for electoral gains. "We will not let that happen. We will take appropriate action as per law," Reddy said. He, however, did not mention the names of the BJP leaders.

He said the government will not hesitate to take action against those, including BJP leaders, who spread rumours through social media. He said BJP leaders created law and order problems during Hanuma Jayanthi celebrations in Hunsur recently.

"They are now giving political colour to the death of Paresh Meshta. BJP leaders, including Shobha Karandlaje and Ananthkumar Hegde, are misleading the people," he charged. Reddy said that the government was forced to reveal the details of the preliminary forensic report of the deceased in order to allay rumours related to the incident. "The cause of death will be clear once the post-mortem report is out," he said.

He accused the BJP of bringing people from outside the state to indulge in violence. He said the BJP went ahead with its protest in Honnavar despite prohibitory orders being in place.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah used his twitter handle to hit out at the BJP. "A desperate @BJP4Karnataka stoops so low as to use the unfortunate death of a youth Paresh Mestha in Honnavar for political gains. People are getting hurt by their irresponsible acts," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.

KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao accused the BJP of playing with religious sentiments of the people for political gain.

"We do not discriminate. Whether it is a Muslim, a Hindu, a Christian or a Parsi is killed, it is deplorable. Nobody can support it. It incites communal tension in the state," he said.

Earlier in the day, Reddy briefed Siddaramaiah on the situation in Uttara Kannada district.