KARWAR /BENGALURU:A day after violence in Kumta led to the burning of an IGP’s car, Sirsi town in Karwar district witnessed mob fury and police firing following a bandh call on Tuesday. BJP and fringe outfits had sought permission to hold a march in Sirsi to protest the death of Paresh Mesta, a 21-year-old youth from Honnavar whose body was fished out from a lake on Friday. After police refused, protesters began to pelt stones. Police resorted to lathi charge, tear gas shelling and finally fired in the air to disperse the mob.
More than 20 people, including policemen and three journalists, sustained injuries. Several vehicles were set on fire while over 30 properties were damaged. Over 70 persons, including former minister and BJP MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, were detained.
Meanwhile, BJP lawmakers met Governor Vajubhai Vala in Bengaluru seeking his direction to the state government for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the recent killings of BJP-RSS workers, including Mesta. Leader of the opposition in Legislative Council KS Eshwarappa and BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, who led the delegation of MPs and MLAs, accused the police of trying to cover up the killing of Mesta.
In retaliation, the Congress claimed that BJP was trying to mislead people by making false statements about the death of Mesta. Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, addressing a press meet, said they were forced to reveal the preliminary forensic report of the deceased in order to allay rumours related to the incident. “The cause of death will be clear once the post-mortem report is out,” he said.
Earlier, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said that BJP was resorting to political violence for electoral benefits.