The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a massive protest rally in Ballari, alleging an attempted murder of BJP MLA and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy. The party leaders demanded the immediate arrest of Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and the handing over of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The rally was organised at the APMC Market area in the city. Thousands of party workers attended the protest, condemning the handling of the shootout case by the Congress-led government.
State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Deputy Chief Minister and MP Govind Karjol, former Minister B. Sriramulu, Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Legislative Council N. Ravikumar, Ballari District President Anil Kumar Moka, MPs, MLAs, Members of the Legislative Council, former ministers, state office-bearers, district presidents, district office-bearers, municipal corporation members, and party leaders were present.
Addressing the gathering, Vijayendra said that rumours were being spread that the Ballari padyatra had been cancelled due to internal differences within the party. He said it was being claimed that he and Ashoka had differences of opinion. “There is no opposition to the padyatra from our side.
I have communicated the decision of the core committee meeting in this regard. We will take up the struggle as per the directions of the central leadership,” he said. As he was unwell, Vijayendra had to end his speech abruptly. Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai stated that Janardhan Reddy and his close friend, former minister B. Sriramulu, have come together, and this has begun to shake the chairs of Congress leaders in Ballari district.
He said Sriramulu’s speed and Janardhan Reddy’s strength were like a storm and fire. He stated that this was the reason behind the incident in Ballari. He threw a challenge, saying, “Let us see how many bullets they have.” No matter how many shots they fire, they cannot suppress our strength, he asserted.
Bommai also objected that in Hubballi, the police had stripped a Dalit woman, and alleged that the Commissioner had fabricated a false story by claiming that she herself removed her clothes. MP Govind Karjol, speaking on the occasion, said that those who opened fire were contract killers and not government gunmen.
Bringing in contract killers, Congress MLA Bharath Reddy has committed a serious crime, he alleged. Karjol demanded that if Siddaramaiah has any moral integrity, he should first arrest Bharath Reddy and then conduct an investigation. Otherwise, he insisted that the probe be handed over to the CBI.
He cautioned that power is not permanent; only the manner in which power is exercised remains permanent. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, questioned whether it was appropriate language for an MLA to use, referring to Bharath Reddy’s statement that “five minutes are enough; I will burn Janardhan Reddy’s house to ashes.”
Referring to the Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, he further questioned what kind of “Bhasmasura” had been born in Ballari. “Today, you say you will finish off Janardhan Reddy tomorrow. Do you really have that kind of strength?” he asked, throwing a challenge.
“We will also see. We are not children who get scared of anything. We too will step forward. We will not indulge in hooliganism like you. Under the Constitution given by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, it is possible to teach you a lesson, and we will show you that,” he said."Don't you think we have the capacity to deal with these situations? But, we prefer to fight through the Indian Constitution," he added.