Karnataka BJP leaders demand probe into killings of party workers

BENGALURU: BJP legislators and MPs led by Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council KS Eshwarappa marched to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum seeking his direction to State government for a probe by National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the killings of BJP and RSS workers, including Paresh Mesta.They also demanded action against police for allegedly trying to cover up the gruesome killing of killing of Mesta.

BJP leaders who earlier held a protest in front of Ambedkar statue at Vidhana Soudha accused the state government of turning a blind eye to the nefarious activities of outfits like PFI and its political arm Socialist Democratic Party of India. PFI activists were taken into custody in the killings of Rudresh and Sharath Madiwala, the RSS/BJP workers in Bengaluru and Mangaluru respectively, BJP leaders alleged in their memorandum submitted to the Governor.

Accusing the police of trying to cover up of the killing of Mesta, BJP leaders said that the police concealed the death for three days due to the fact that CM Siddaramaiah was touring Honnavar on December 7.
Mesta is suspected to have been killed on December 6 evening and his charred body was found on December 8. The body could not have been dumped in a temple pond without the conivannce of the police as prohibitory orders were in force in the district for three days from December 6, BJP leaders have alleged in the memorandum.

Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council K S Eshwarappa and BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje also accused Siddaramaiah government of adopting minority appeasement policy.