BENGALURU: The Hubballi murder case, where Neha, a college girl was stabbed to death on the campus by a man from a minority community, and the Hassan sex scandal in which JDS MP Prajwal Revanna is accused No 2, have rocked Karnataka which is in the midst of Lok Sabha elections.
Now, they have become major issues for Congress and BJP in the 14 LS constituencies of North Karnataka which go to polls on May 7. However, it is to be seen as to what extent they may have a bearing on the prospects of Congress and BJP candidates in the region dominated by the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
At a rally in Belagavi on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the Congress government’s appeasement politics resulted in murder of Neha in Hubballi. Parents now fear sending their children to schools and colleges, he said.
Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, earlier stated that the murder took place because of personal reasons. This was opposed in strong terms by the girl’s parents and also BJP leaders. Protests were held across the state, including Ramanagara in Bengaluru Rural LS constituency in South Karnataka, which is dominated by Vokkaligas.
In an effort to control the damage done, many Congress leaders met Neha’s parents and apologised to them as they felt the issue would affect the prospects of the party’s candidates in North Karnataka.
But the Grand Old Party is leaving no stone unturned to nail the BJP in Prajwal’s case as JDS is its alliance partner in the state. Top Congress leaders, including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, went hammer and tongs against Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning their silence on the issue. However, some state BJP leaders admitted that the scandal became an embarrassment to their party. “But it will not affect BJP’s prospects in the 14 LS seats. Here, the murder case is a major issue as the victim hailed from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community,” a BJP leader said.
The ruling Congress is using Prajwal’s case to garner votes, especially of women. Protests were held even in Hubballi by its women’s wing members. “Shouldn’t we raise Prajwal’s case when BJP is using the Hubballi murder case to its advantage?,” Bengaluru rural MP DK Suresh questioned.
He hit back at JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, who is busy campaigning for BJP, for attacking Congress over Prajwal’s case. “The BJP will not stand with the rapists. The Congress government should have taken swift action by not letting the accused flee the country,” Shah stated on Wednesday in Hubballi. He met Neha’s parents in Hubballi. “The Congress government has failed in ensuring the safety of women in Karnataka,” he alleged.