BJP Supporters Attacked in Dakshin Kannada

In what could be a redux of the law and order situation under Siddaramaiah, the unholy alliance between Congress and JD(S) seems to have given a fresh lease of life to anti-social and anti-Hindu elements in the state. As BJP ’ s state president Yeddyurappa resigned as Chief Minister on 19^th and it became evident that Cong-JD(S) combine will form the next government, the supporters of Congress have been trying to unleash fear and anxiety in the name of celebrations at several places in Dakshin Kannada in Karnataka. The Congress lost on all seats in the coastal districts except 2 and lost their strongholds like Bantwal by a huge margin.

Reports coming in from the coastal district suggests that celebrations by supporters of Congress is aimed at creating communal discord at several places. A couple were attacked near Vittla for being supporters of BJP. The man and the women have come on record to state that they were attacked by the Congress supporters and blaming them for voting for the BJP. Another youth was attacked by a group of anti-social elements for the same reason. The youth who sustained injuries to his head and other parts, has given a video statement while lying on a stretcher. He has stated that the attackers asked him if he was a BJP supporter and then attacked him with weapons and sticks. The police have failed to act despite complaints registered by the aggrieved persons.

Bantwal, can be recalled was the stronghold of Congress leader Ramanath Rai for two decades and only in the recently concluded elections Rajesh Naik of BJP defeated him and won with a huge margin. Hundreds of Hindu homes had put up posters saying ‘ This is a Hindu home. Congress Not Allowed ’ in a display of resentment against the Congress politics of appeasement and neglect of Hindu concerns. The recent attacks on BJP supporters is seen as ‘ teaching a lesson ’ for people who supported the BJP. Ever since Yeddyurappa resigned, there have been reports of Congress supporters in the district taunting the voters there for having voted for the BJP. Their social media posts are also evidence of the same.

In another incident, fireworks and crackers were burst in front of a temple in Bantwal on Sunday in a obvious act of provoking the Hindus who had voted unanimously to the BJP and rejected the Congress. The Congress which was dejected after it lost the polls badly, the opportunistic alliance of two parties which lost the polls has given it a fresh lease of life. However, it is sad that this opportunity is already being used to create discord and disturbances in the society by the Congress supporters. None of the senior Congress leaders have condemned these acts of its supporters.

The earlier Siddaramaiah government had failed to maintain law and order in the state, especially the coastal districts where more than a dozen Hindu activists had been killed during his tenure. Law & order and killing of Hindu activists in the state was one of major planks on which the Karnataka elections were fought. Observers in the state are already seeing these acts by Congress supporters as ominous signs of things to come. While it needs to be seen if the new government ’ s handling of law & order be worse than that of Siddaramaiah ’ s dispensation, anti-social and anti-Hindu acts in the last few days suggests that it could be so.