Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of BJP on Monday staged statewide protests against the alleged brutal murder of a young woman in Hubbali.
Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was allegedly stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College in Dharwad on April 18 sparking statewide outrage.
Neha was a first year student of Master of Computer Applications and the accused in the case, Fayaz, was earlier her classmate. Fayaz has been arrested by the police.
The party decided to stage statewide protests accusing that the Congress government's alleged 'appeasement politics' was responsible for the incident.
The party also highlighted a series of incidents such as the bomb blast in Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, attack on youths for chanting Jai Sri Ram, and reciting Hanuman Chalisa.
The BJP State President B Y Vijayendra led the protests in Mysuru, while the Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and former Chief Minister and Haveri BJP candidate Basavaraj Bommai spearheaded the agitation in Tumakuru and Haveri.
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Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar led the protests in Belagavi where he is fighting the election on a BJP ticket.
Ballari BJP candidate B Sriramulu took part in the agitation in Ballari city.
Murugesh Nirani in Bagalkote and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in Kalaburagi led the agitation in their cities respectively.
In Hubballi and Dharwad, BJP MLAs Arvind Bellad and Mahesh Tenginkai conducted the protests.
Protesters took out a march, raised slogans 'Long Live Neha Hiremath' and staged sit-in demonstrations holding placards and Neha Hiremath's photograph. They burnt tyres in the middle of the road to express their anger.
The Anjuman-e-Islam, Dharwad observed a bandh for half-a-day from 10 am to 3 pm to condole Neha's murder and express its solidarity towards the bereaved family.
Muslim shop owners put up banners saying, 'Justice for Neha'.
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BJP national president J P Nadda met the Hiremath family on Sunday. He demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
He said the BJP will cooperate if the investigation of the case needs to be handed over to CBI so that the victim gets justice.
Nadda expressed his apprehension that the ruling Congress would 'influence and dilute' the probe.
Reacting to the agitation, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the BJP had to resort to it because its 'double engine' government had failed.
"The big engine will also fail," he said.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara alleged that this incident is being used for political gains.
"I saw some posts on 'X' and Facebook which said 'Vote for Neha Hiremath. It means that this is being used for polictics," Parameshwara told reporters in Bengaluru.
He said the state government will initiate action as per law.
—PTI