HONNAVAR: Continuing his visit in costal areas of the state on Wednesday, BJP national president Amit Shah landed in Honnavar of Uttara Kannada district to meet parents of Paresh Mesta, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances at a lake in the town. However, Shah, however, abruptly ended his poll-bound Karnataka tour due to ill health.
The death of Paresh led to protests and violence in the district as Hindu outfits had claimed him as their activists and alleged that he was deliberately killed. Since Shah visited families of slain members of Hindu outfits in Dakshina Kannada district, the party also chose to take its president to Paresh’s residence.
Shah, along with BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, Union Minister of State for Skill Development Anantkumar Hegde and MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri visited Paresh’s house.Shah spoke to Kamalakar Mesta, father of the deceased for over 20 minutes, and consoled him assuring that the party will stand in support of the family, said sources.
Meanwhile, Shah, who has been suffering from health issues, cut short the Karnataka visit and flew back to New Delhi from Hubballi airport. He was supposed to participate in Navashakti Samavesh in Kumta and visit Gokarna’s Sri Mahabaleshwar temple. But all these engagements were cancelled. Meanwhile, Kamalakar Mesta expressed displeasure over the probe being conducted into the death of his son. “Two months after handing over the case to CBI, no one came to us to inquire about the death of my son.
Therefore, we demanded Shah to handover the case to National Investigation Agency from CBI. Shah assured that the case will be investigated by superintendent of police rank CBI officer,” he said. It was expected that Shah would extend financial help to the Mesta family as he did with the kin of Deepak Rao who was killed in Dakshina Kannada. But in Honnavar, Amit Shah did not give any compensation from the party to Kamalakar Mesta.
Clash erupts
Mangaluru: A clash broke out between two groups at Thota Bengre area after miscreants attacked people returning in a bus from BJP chief Amit Shah’s Udupi rally on Tuesday night. Ten persons, including six police personnel, were injured in the incident. Police sources said the people in the bus were shouting slogans. This irked some people at Thota Bengre and they placed stones on the road. Miscreants barged into the bus and assaulted some of its occupants. But the occupants managed to chase them away. Within no time, scores of people gathered at the spot and started pelting stones at the bus.