Karnataka: 20 BJP men murdered in four years; party for NIA probe in Mesta case

According to statistics provided by the state home department, as many as 20 BJP and Hindu activists were killed and six assaulted in the state since 2013 when the Congress party came to power.

Of the 20 murders during Congress rule, seven Hindu activists were killed in 2016 alone, say the statistics.

Those who were killed include Hindu organization leaders, Vishwanath Shetty- Shivamogga police station limits, Prashanth Poojari- Mudabidre police station, Kuttappa-Madikeri Town Police station, Raju- Udayagiri police station, Mysuru, Praveen Poojari- Kushalanagara Rural police station, Rudresh- Commercial Street police station, Bengaluru, Yogisha Gouda- Dharwad Upanagara police station, Rajesh Kotyan- Ullala police station, Charan Poojari- Mangaluru rural police station , Karthik Raj- Konaje police station, N. Sharath Kumar- Bantwal Town police station, Ashok Poojari and Vasu Acharya.

Meanwhile, the BJP petitioned Governor Vajubhai Vala requesting him to direct the state government to hand over the Paresh Mesta death case to NIA. BJP leaders headed by R. Ashok took out a procession from Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to the Governor.