Alleging that the Congress government in Karnataka is trying to “hush up” the brutal murder of student Neha Hiremath by branding it as an individual crime, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called it “part of a conspiracy” and said that if the State government cannot investigate the crime, the case should be transferred to the CBI.
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He said the victim’s parents had told him that her murder was committed because she refused to convert to Islam, the religion of the attacker. “The police in Karnataka, which is ruled by the Congress, should properly investigate by keeping such facts in mind. Otherwise, the State government should transfer the case to the CBI... Then we will take strict action,” Mr. Shah said.
He was speaking at a BJP campaign rally at Hukkeri to seek votes for Annasaheb Jolle, the party candidate.
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Interestingly, he asked the crowd to defeat the Congress candidate in Chikkodi, Priyanka Jarkiholi, as her family is allegedly involved in large-scale irregularities. “They are involved in illegal mining and have encroached thousands of hectares of government land, promoted and protected illicit liquor-making gangs and hafta (protection money) collectors. Such people should be defeated,” he said. While Satish Jarkiholi, the candidate’s father, is with the Congress, her two uncles — Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi — are with the BJP. Another mining baron, B. Janardhana Reddy, is also now part of the BJP.
Mr. Shah also said that those who “repeatedly insult Hinduism and its rituals” and “insult heroes like Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj” should be defeated.
Mr. Shah welcomed Vivek Rao Patil, former MLC and Kuruba community leader, into the BJP. Mr. Patil was an Independent MLC who had supported the Congress in the past. He is considered a loyalist of Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi.