a day ago
‘Goonda governance': BJP slams Congress over crackdown on Hindu leaders
Mangaluru: Escalating its criticism of the Congress-led Karnataka government, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra on Monday launched a fierce attack on what he termed the 'goonda behaviour' of the administration, alleging a state-sponsored campaign to target Hindu leaders following the murder of Bajpe-based activist Suhas Shetty.
Addressing reporters at the BJP district office, Vijayendra alleged that the police, instead of nabbing the culprits, were raiding homes of Hindu activists in midnight crackdowns. 'We are seeing a collapse of governance—law and order has become a tool of political vendetta,' he said.
The BJP chief accused the government of selectively protecting Congress leaders while unleashing legal action on Hindu voices. 'When Hindu leaders speak up, cases are filed. But when Congress members like Ivan D'Souza speak against the Prime Minister and Governor, there is no action,' he claimed.
Vijayendra welcomed the Centre's decision to hand over the Shetty case to the NIA, asserting that the state government showed little interest earlier in facilitating an impartial probe. He also questioned the intent behind the state's anti-communal task force, calling it a 'mechanism to instil fear among BJP loyalists.' Echoing similar concerns, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said, 'Police stations in Karnataka have started resembling Congress party offices. There's no differentiation between patriots and anti-nationals in the way law is being applied.'
Ashoka also responded to questions over Suhas Shetty's alleged rowdy history, remarking that even prominent political leaders have faced legal cases. 'Let the court decide what is criminal and what isn't,' he said, while urging an unbiased probe into other recent violent incidents including the murder of Rehman. The BJP's southern leadership, including D V Sadananda Gowda, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, MP of Dakshina Kannada Capt. Brijesh Chowta and several MLAs, stood in support of what they described as a growing atmosphere of political suppression in coastal Karnataka—an area long considered a BJP bastion.
