‘Personal Reason, Not Love Jihad’: Karnataka Govt Amid Outrage Over MCA Student’s Campus Killing

Hubballi: murder of daughter of a city Corporation Councillor on campus of her college here has sparked widespre condemnation and protests. issue has snowballed into a political slugfest between ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Karnataka. While ruling party has tried to project it as an incident with a personal angle, saffron party suspects love jih and has said that it shows deterioration of law and order in state.

BJP's student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parish (ABVP) and or organisations aligned to Hindutva outfits have staged protests demanding justice and calling for severe punishment for accused. Similar protests have been reported in various or places.

Deceased was daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharw

In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharw Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on campus of BVB College on Thursday.

accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled scene, was arrested by police subsequently.

Neha was a first year student of Master of Computer Applications and Fayaz was earlier her classmate.

According to a senior police officer, Fayaz, who stabbed her multiple times, claimed during interrogation two h been in a relationship but she h been avoiding him of late. "It needs to be corroborated and verified, but he was arrested immediately." In Munavalli, Fayaz's hometown in Belagavi district, re is outrage and demonstrations have been held by various organisations condemning murder.

Union Minister and Dharw Lok Sabha BJP candidate Pralh Joshi suspected that re was a love jih angle behind incident.

re is complete deterioration of law and order under Congress regime, he alleged, urging CM Siddaramaiah to stop minority appeasement politics and special treatment to a "particular community." However, Home Minister G Parameshwara said re was no "love jih" angle as of now.

"According to my information y both were in love with each or. boy is said to have stabbed girl as she tried to distance herself from him. love jih angle is not seen as of now. He might have feared her marrying someone else, details are not known yet," Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters in Tumakuru, he said, when such incidents happen, BJP routinely blames Congress, which is not right.

" government will control such incidents in accordance with law, but viewing everything with a political angle at time of elections is not right. y (BJP) cannot dictate to investigate in a certain way and to invoke certain sections. Based on evidence, police will put sections," he ded.

BJP Hits Out at Siddaramaiah Government

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said personal reasons were behind murder. " law and order situation in Karnataka is good. It is duty of government to maintain law and order of state, and we are doing it." Calling this a shocking incident, BJP leer and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai noted that as far as he could remember such a daylight murder on a college campus with a knife h never happened in Hubballi. He furr said government has to take this very seriously as "this is not an issue concerning any individual and that it concerns entire state." "A high-level inquiry has to be done, it cannot be done by local police here, as everyone here in Hubballi-Dharw including commissioner is inactive. A SIT (special investigation team) should be formed," he said.

Hubballi-Dharw Police Commissioner h yesterday said, girl was stabbed as she rejected accused's love proposal, but Home Minister today says y were in love, Bommai pointed out, ding, "This shows that government is trying to look at it with a political and vote-bank angle." Siddarmaiah's statement that murder was due to "personal reasons" and Parameshwara's comments that two were in love, has elicited sharp reactions from Neha's family members and opposition parties.

State BJP chief B Y Vijayendra said since Congress came to power last year, law and order situation has completely deteriorated in state.

" Congress, CM and Deputy CM have to take responsibility for such incidents increasing in state...such incidents are repeatedly happening, re is no fear of law." Reacting to incident and BJP's allegations, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said government is firm on taking action in accordance with law and no one can take law into ir hands.

government will not interfere in investigation, law will take its course, he said.

"During Bommai and or's time (as CM) too such incidents have happened due to personal reasons, but we are very firm in dealing with such s of criminals."

(With Inputs From PTI)