MYSURU: Senior Congress leader and former MP Adagooru H Vishwnath on Friday accused BJP leaders of creating terror in the city in the aftermath of RSS worker Raju's murder, and said that they want to divide people on communal lines like in Madikeri and Mangaluru.
He asserted that Raju did not die during a communal clash as projected by BJP leaders, who, he said are trying to gain political mileage. According to him, BJP is communalizing the issue of death and charged Mysuru MP Prathap Simha of trying to fanning communal tension in the city.
Urging police and the government to crack Raju's murder case, Vishwanath said: "Police should also initiate action against those who indulged in violence during the bandh. Both are violent incidents and should be dealt with according to law."
Saying that a political party has the right to protest, the former MP said that targeting members of minority community during the bandh is injustice. "Can we condone the violence incidents unleashed by the protesters? They violated prohibitory orders clamped in the city and indulged in violence, which affected daily wage workers and II PU students who were to write exams then," he said.
Vishwanath accused the MP of defaming the residents of Narasimharaja assembly segment, calling them Talibanis. "It is a fact that Raju was hacked to death. But BJP leaders are trying to terrorize people..," he claimed.
, pointing at former minister and BJP general secretary C T Ravi's participation in the protests.
"Raju was killed at 5.30pm and Ravi, who was in Chikkamagaluru, rushed to the city by 8.30pm with his supporters. This is a ploy to disturb communal harmony in the city," the former minister stated.
While BJP is seeking to enhance the compensation to Rs 25 lakh, Vishwanath said the Rs 5 lakh compensation awarded showcases the government's concern for Raju's family members. Home and district minsters visited the family and handed over the cheque, he stressed.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.