Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in the early hours of Thursday, 28 July 2022, called an emergency press meeting and announced that he would be cancelling all events celebrating his one-year anniversary as chief minister and three years of the BJP's rule in Karnataka.
The decision comes at a time when party workers and cadres staged massive protests across Dakshina Kannada over the brutal murder of Praveen Nettaru in Bellare.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the chief minister said, "My conscience did not allow me to go ahead with the celebrations. I am considering this case to be a very important one, and thus, the BJP Janaotsava event has been cancelled."
Cadres Outraged Over Death of Party Worker in Dakshina Kannada
The BJP and the government of Karnataka had organised two events as part of the anniversary celebrations. The first event was to be conducted by the Bommai administration in Vidhana Soudha, highlighting the government's achievements over the past year, and the second was a party-driven event in Doddaballapura, called 'BJP Janotsava'.
Apologising to party workers, CM Bommai said that he had informed BJP president JP Nadda, one of the main guests of the event, about its cancellation.
The BJP Janaotsva was an event planned to bolster the party's existing strategies to win the upcoming elections in 2023. The event, which was slated to attract over 30,000 people, was meant to showcase the work done and policies introduced by the BJP government in the last three years in the state.
However, outraged protesters taking to the streets and attacking the BJP state president's car in Sullia have forced the Bommai administration to go back on its plans.
"I am in a dilemma. On one hand, an innocent man was killed. On the other hand, our government completed three years in office – I have completed one year as CM and Yediyurappa completed two years. But I am at unease and real pain ever since I heard of the news of Praveen's murder," CM Bommai added.
CM Bommai Assures Swift & Stern Action, Says New Anti-Terrorist Squad Formed To Tackle Issue
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai maintained that he had handled similar situations of crisis as the home minister of the state. Recalling the incidents of DJ Halli and Mangaluru violence, the chief minister said that he had personally ensured that the investigation was done properly.
"I have been a Home Minister earlier. This problem is not just pertinent to the Karavali region (Coastal Karnataka), but across the state. I made sure that at least 15 people were arrested for terror-related activities two years ago," said the chief minister during the midnight press conference.
Singling out Popular Front of India (PFI), an Islamic organisation and its political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the chief minister alleged that the organisation was involved in violent activities, and quoted a Kerala High Court judge as terming it a "terrorist outfit."
"PFI was banned in Chhattisgarh, but the decision was revoked as the court demanded proper documentation work, which was not done earlier. However, the Kerala HC has called PFI a terror organisation," he added.
Noting that there were violent protests over the party worker's death, CM Bommai assured that the government would take immediate action to find the assailants who murdered Praveen Nettaru on 26 July 2022.
The chief minister also said that he would form a new anti-terrorist squad to tackle violent crimes like these. Stating that there is a need to create something that is currently not part of the existing system, he said, "We need a system that wipes out terror outfits that kills innocent people. We will form a special anti-terrorist squad, a commando force with independent intelligence wing, to fight these concerns. I will personally ensure that this is done."
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