K'taka BJP leader's murder: Party leaders resign en masse

The protesting BJP leaders flayed the state BJP leadership for failing to arrest the accused and protect the leaders despite being in power.

Bengaluru: The BJP party workers and leaders in Karnataka on Wednesday resigned en masse in protest against the “inaction” by the state government in the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru by unknown miscreants on Tuesday. Yuva Morcha president of Gangavati city unit K. Venkatesh Chikkajantakal while condemning the killing submitted his resignation to the president of the city unit, Kashinath Chitragara.

“Even though the party is in power, we have no protection and the promise of strict action against the accused remains only a hope,” he said. Four members, including the president of Mysore's NR constituency Yuva Morcha, have also resigned en masse. President D. Lohit, general secretaries Dhanaraj, Naveen Shetty, secretaries M. Raju, G. Arun have condemned the killing of Praveen Nettaru and resigned from the party out of frustration.

They said that Praveen Nettaru's murder has caused an irreparable loss to the BJP youth group. Hindu organization workers staged a protest in Kalaburagi condemning the murder. The activists, led by the Hindu Jagariti Sena Sangathana staged a protest at the city's SVP circle and raised slogans against the state BJP government. “Even if there is a BJP government in the state, the killing of Hindu activists has not been stopped,” they said and demanded the sacking of the state BJP government for failing to protect Hindu activists.

The resignation of BJP office bearers has started in Belagavi as well. Avinash Hiremath has submitted his resignation to the post of BJP Arabavi Mandala social media member. He posted his resignation letter on Facebook, venting his anger. “It is before our eyes that you have taken 'harsh action' when all pro-Hindu activists were killed. What strict action you took, we are seeing so we are resigning,” he said.

Condemning the murder of Praveen, the resignation of activists continues in Bagalakote district as well. MLA Siddu Savadi's son has resigned from the post of Yuva Morcha General Secretary. He has written a resignation letter to Bagalakote BJP District President Shant Gowda Patil and posted it on Facebook to show his anger against the government.

In the wake of the murder of Yuva Morcha worker Praveen of Dakshina Kannada district, the Yuva Morcha workers in Davangere too have resigned en masse and submitted their resignation letter to BJP district president Viresh Hanagavadi. “What is the use of being in Yuva Morcha when there is no protection for a Hindu activist in the BJP party?” he said.

All office bearers, including the district president of the Yuva Morcha, RL Shivaprakash, including the president of the eight mandals of the district, have sent their resignation letters. In Chitradurga, Ramesh Goolihatti has resigned from the district social media unit. He has demanded the murders be arrested and punished. Meanwhile, stone pelting took place during the funeral procession of the slain BJP Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru after agitated BJP workers pelted stones on state BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel and others who had arrived in Bellare Junction to have a last glimpse of the slain BJP leader.

Dakshina Kannada and the police resorted to lathi charges to control the situation. Thousands of activists gathered as Praveen Nettaru's dead body arrived in Bellary in an ambulance from the Government Hospital in Puttur. The crowd turned violent and tried to topple the car of BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel. The Hindu organization shouted slogans against the MPs, ministers and MLAs.

RSS leaders were also heckled and shouted at by Hindu activists. MP Nalin Kumar, Minister Sunil Kumar and Prabhakar Bhatt were gheraod by the agitated crowd. However, the police finally managed to control the situation and cleared the crowds.