Blaming the Congress for the January 1 group clash in Ballari that left an activist dead and several injured, senior BJP leaders on Saturday stepped up their attack on the ruling party alleging a complete breakdown of law and order in the State.
Speaking to mediapersons in Ballari before taking part in the public meeting held for demanding the immediate arrest of Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and handing over the Ballari clash cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok said that citizens, legislators and public representatives were all feeling unsafe ever since the Congress came to power in the State. “There is no protection for anyone. Incidents of riots, rape, robbery and violence are being reported from across the State, but the government is least bothered,” he alleged.
Accusing the government of being consumed by internal power struggles and corruption, Mr. Ashok said it had forgotten the mandate given by voters. “This is a government that does not even value the people who elected it. It is an insult to democracy,” he said.
Referring to the Ballari incident, Mr. Ashok alleged that the banner-related clash was not a spontaneous episode but a “pre-planned conspiracy”. “There was no need to put up banners at that location. The real intention was to eliminate Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy. The situation in the State has deteriorated to such an extent that even legislators are not safe,” he claimed.
He asserted that the government must go and warned that protests would not stop until accountability was fixed. “Handing the case to the CID will only help in burying it. That is why we are demanding a CBI probe,” he said, adding that more agitations would follow over alleged scams, including those related to drugs and welfare schemes.
Meanwhile, Leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who visited Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy’s residence in Ballari before attending the public meeting, said Ballari had been pushed into gun culture and criminality.
“The Congress government has unleashed lawlessness. Congress leaders and workers themselves are behaving like goondas. There is one law for Congress leaders and another for ordinary citizens,” he alleged. He accused the ruling party of speaking about the Constitution while violating its spirit through its actions. “What they preach and what they practise are completely different. We cannot remain silent spectators to this assault on constitutional values,” he said.
Mr. Narayanaswamy said the BJP had launched the protest from Ballari to demand justice for the victim’s family and protection for citizens, and indicated that similar agitations would be taken up across the State. On the proposed Padayatra from Ballari to Bengaluru, he said it had neither been finalised nor cancelled. “There is a strong emotional response among local leaders. However, such a yatra will be taken up only after collective deliberations and a considered decision,” he added.
The BJP leadership said the Ballari protest would mark the beginning of a State-wide agitation against what it described as the Congress government’s failure to maintain law and order.
