Karnataka BJP urges action amid law and order crisis

PTI, May 18, 2024, 5:52 PM IST

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Saturday targeted the Congress government in the state alleging the collapse of the law and order situation and raised concerns about the safety of women, while urging the Siddaramaiah-led administration to ”wake up” and take immediate measures in this regard.

He also reiterated the party’s demand that the state government hand over the probe relating to cases of sexual abuse of women against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to the CBI.

”From the time Congress came to power in the state, the law and order situation has completely deteriorated. Murders and extortions are taking place everywhere. There is rise in rape and love jihad cases. There are questions about women’s security,” Vijayendra said.

Speaking to reporters here, Vijayendra said the deteriorating law and order situation is bringing disrepute to the state.

”There is a sense as though there is no government here and the police system is not functioning. As the government is not taking stringent measures, murders are on the rise in Karnataka. So we have held a protest across the state. ”It is already late now, we urge that the government should wake up at least now and discharge its duty of maintaining law and order, and take measures to give protection to women,” he added.

Protests were held by the mahila morcha (women’s wing) of BJP across the state today and memorandums were submitted to Deputy Commissioners in all districts. In Bengaluru a delegation led by senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda submitted a memoranda to Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Mohan.

The BJP’s stand is very clear regarding cases involving Prajwal Revanna and charges of sexual abuse of women against him, Vijayendra, in response to a question, said and added that the state government has to take the issue seriously and handover the probe to the CBI.

”Every day new things are coming out in this case. So I demand that without any delay, Prajwal Revanna cases should be given to the CBI probe. Why is the government hesitant? Names of several senior leaders are also being heard in connection with the cases, and leak of alleged explicit videos. There cannot be fair probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT),” he said.

The BJP is not supporting anyone in connection with these cases and only wants justice for women victims, Vijayendra said, adding that ”Instead of using the cases politically, government should immediately hand over them to the CBI aimed at providing justice for women victims…there is no question of any party here, it (alleged sexual abuse) was a henious crime, whoever is guilty, however big they are, they should be punished.” The state BJP chief was responding to party leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda who on Friday alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and four other ministers are behind the circulation of pen drives containing explicit videos involving Prajwal Revanna, and that he was being fixed in false cases as he did not agree to be part of their plan.

Gowda, who is in custody after being arrested in a sexual abuse case and is also facing charges of video leak, has even alleged that he was offered Rs 100 crore by Shivakumar to ”bring a bad name” to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and to tarnish the image of JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy in Prajwal Revanna’s obscene video case.