Hubballi Girl Murder: BJP-ABVP Launch Protest; It Happened due to 'Personal Reasons', Says CM

The slain girl's father Niranjanaiah Hiremath, who is a Congress corporator in Hubballi of Karnataka, demanded that the accused should be hanged for committing what he described it as a 'revenge murder' for not returning his love. However, the Chief Minister and the Home Minister ruled out the communal angle behind the killing, saying that the duo were former lovers.

Hubballi : The murder of the 23-year-old daughter of a a Congress corporator of the city municipal corporation on the campus of her college here has sparked widespread condemnation and protests. The issue has snowballed into a political slugfest between ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Karnataka. While the ruling party said that it happened due to personal reasons, the saffron party suspects communal angle and has said that it shows the deterioration of law and order in the state.

BJP's student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and other organisations have staged protests demanding justice and calling for severe punishment for the accused. Similar protests have been reported in various other places.

In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjanaiah Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on Thursday. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled the scene, was arrested by police subsequently.

Neha's father said that the government should take the case seriously and investigate it. The accused should be hanged. Injustice was done to my daughter and this should not happen to any other daughter, Neha's father Niranjanaiah Hiremath demanded. He said that his daughter directly refused and had warned him many times not to trouble her. He said that the youth was waiting to take revenge for this and he had warned that if she doesn't love him, he will kill her.

The victim's father further said that his brother also spoke to the youth's parents about this and even after that, the accused committed the murder and that he should be hanged. Along with the main accused, there were four or five people from the same community who were involved in this, the bereaved father said.

Speaking on this incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that personal reasons were responsible for the killing that took place in Hubballi. Also speaking on the issue, Home Minister G Prarameshwar said that it was not related to any communal matter and both of them were in love with each other. It is reported that the incident took place when the girl tried to separate from him, the Home Minister said.

Speaking to media in Tumkur, the Minister said that the BJP naturally blames the Congress party for such issues which is not reasonable. Everything that happens in the society will be dealt with according to the law and looking at everything from a political point of view is not good during the election, he said, adding that it will be investigated based on evidence.

Neha Hiremath Funeral: Neha Hiremath was cremated at Rudra Bhoomi on Mantoor Road in the city. The cremation was performed as per Veerashaiva Jangam rites.

Renuka Kumar, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner, said that the accused was arrested and sent to judicial custody. The Lok Sabha Polls are due on April 26 and May 7 in Karnataka.

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