BENGALURU: Congress leaders have resisted the demand from the opposition BJP and JDS to hand over the investigation into the firing in Ballari which resulted in the death of a Congress worker to the CBI.
Congress Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath rejected it, saying CBI is under the control of the Union Government.
RDPR and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said, “The then Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel had received a letter from the CBI asking for inspectors and sub-inspectors and even furniture like tables to be given to them. If the State Government is providing officials — inspectors and sub-inspectors and other staff, then who is really conducting the investigation? Is it not our own police? Why do we need the CBI to investigate? Aren’t our police competent enough,” he asked.
The clashes in Ballari erupted on January 1 over a dispute involving banners ahead of a Maharshi Valmiki statue unveiling near the residence of BJP MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy.
Clashes between supporters of Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and BJP leaders led to stone-throwing and firing shots from a gun that claimed the life of Congress worker Rajashekar Reddy.