Mangaluru: The Congress-led Karnataka government is facing a fresh wave of outrage from Hindu activists, opposition leaders, and civil society groups over its decision to establish what it calls a “communal violence prevention team” — instead of handing over the high-profile Suhas Shetty murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as urged by the Hindu community. Critics have slammed the move as a political cover-up intended to suppress the truth and target Hindu and BJP-affiliated activists under the garb of curbing communal tension.
The murder of Suhas Shetty, a known Hindu activist, in Dakshina Kannada has become a flashpoint in coastal Karnataka, an area already on edge due to a series of communal incidents in recent months. BJP leaders, including state party president BY Vijayendra, have accused the Congress government of open bias and minority appeasement, warning of serious consequences if what they allege as “institutional suppression of Hindus” continues.
Congress aiding suppression of Hindu voices: Vijayendra
BJP State President Vijayendra, in a press conference, directly accused the Congress government of complicity in targeting Hindu activists. “Hindu activists have been arrested for the murder of a Muslim youth with the direct involvement of Congress leaders and the state police, who are behaving in a completely biased and high-handed manner,” he said.
“A communal suppression team has been formed, not a peace-keeping force. It is specifically aimed at Hindu and BJP workers. The Congress government is creating a false narrative of protecting harmony, while it is selectively criminalizing one community. This is nothing but vote-bank politics in its most dangerous form,” he alleged.
Vijayendra further questioned the Congress’s silence on the Suhas Shetty murder case. “Where did their intelligence machinery disappear when Suhas Shetty was murdered? There are whispers about foreign funding being involved in his killing. Even women were allegedly used in the operation, yet the Congress is shielding the masterminds and refusing to hand the case to the CBI. Why this double standard?”
Congress forming committees instead of delivering justice
Following the murder of Abdul Rahiman in Bantwal, which came in the aftermath of Suhas Shetty’s killing, district-level Congress leaders created internal tremors by demanding the resignation of the district in-charge minister. Instead of acting decisively on either murder, the state government responded by setting up a communal violence prevention team, a move that critics say is a deflection tactic meant to stall investigations and escape accountability.
District in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao attempted to justify the move by claiming that “vested interests” were disturbing the peace of Dakshina Kannada. He said the newly formed team would work to eliminate such forces, suggesting that both sides of the communal divide are being targeted.
“Our government will not compromise in this regard,” he posted on social media, adding, “If opposition stop playing politics of the dead, Dakshina Kannada will naturally become a place of peace.” However, this very statement is being seen as political gaslighting, with activists and opposition leaders questioning why Shetty’s murder — which should have been handled by the CBI — is instead being buried under a government-formed task force.
Kumaraswamy joins in, slams Congress for “murder politics”
Former Chief Minister and union minister H.D. Kumaraswamy launched a scathing attack on the Siddaramaiah-led government. “On one hand, torrential rains are devastating lives across the state. On the other, murders are being allowed to fester unchecked. The government seems more interested in watching the state bleed than administering justice,” he thundered in a post.
He also questioned the timing and intent behind the formation of the communal suppression team. “Is this task force a tool to harass one section of the population while shielding others? Why has there been no urgency in handing over the Suhas Shetty murder case to the CBI? Why this selective silence? It appears this government is deliberately playing with the lives of people for political gains,” he said.
