On the intervening night of July 27 and July 28, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the state government would form a commando force with special training, intelligence, ammunition, and resources to go after anti-national and terror groups conspiring to disrupt the peace and stir communal tension in the state.
CM Bommai was speaking at an emergency press conference following the unrest in the state over the brutal murder of BJP Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru in Dakshin Kannada on Tuesday night.
Govt will form a commando force with special training, intelligence, ammunition, resources to go after anti-national & terror groups conspiring to disrupt the peace & stir communal tensions in the state: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, in an emergency press conference at midnight pic.twitter.com/U46Si8IUDr
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2022
Karnataka BJP had planned an official event at Soudha, and ‘Janotsava’, a mega rally at Doddaballapur, on Thursday to mark Bommai’s one year in the office. National President of BJP JP Nadda was scheduled to attend the event.
During the press conference, CM Bommai said another press conference would be held on Thursday. He said, “My mind wasn’t at peace after hearing the news, I gave directions to act on it then & there… it happened just a few days after Harsha’s (Bajrang Dal activist) death… It’s inhuman and condemnable.”
Won’t spare such elements at any cost. A task force of commandos will be trained along with intelligence wing, they’ll specifically look after such elements. Culprits to be nabbed soon… there are inter-state issues involved that’s why I can’t reveal everything now: Karnataka CM pic.twitter.com/NGcVM18HG4
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2022
He further added that such elements would not be spared at any cost. He said the killers would be nabbed soon, but because of the inter-state issue involved in the matter, he could not shed more light.
Earlier on Wednesday, he had assured that justice would be served to the family. “We will not rest till the culprits who perpetrated the heinous act in Mangaluru that provokes social unrest and discord are crushed,” he said.
Speaking about coordination between Karnataka and Kerala Police over the matter, he said, “Praveen was killed in Mangaluru on Tuesday. Orders have been issued for stringent action against the culprits. Karnataka police officers are in constant touch with their Kerala counterparts to nab the killers. Mangaluru, Superintendent of Police, has spoken to Kasaragod, Superintendent of Police. Our Director General of Police has also taken up the issue with the Kerala Director General of Police. Teams have been formed, and operations have been launched to nab the killers. The culprits would be nabbed soon and severely punished.”
Notably, following Nettaru’s murder, tension had prevailed in the state. BJYM members were distressed after this incident and expressed their concerns. They took to social media to put up posts threatening mass resignation. Karnataka BJP MLA Renukacharyra also said that Hindus are not safe despite there being a BJP regime. He has also threatened to tender his resignation from the MLA post if the Hindus in the state are not protected.
Murder of Praveen Nettaru
On July 26, a Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death by unidentified assailants. As per reports, the killers came on a bike in Bellari, Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka, in the late evening and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. Nettaru, who ran a poultry business, was was shutting down his shop when the attack happened. The assailants escaped after the attack. Nettaru was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved.
