Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP has strongly criticised the Congress-led government, alleging that the prevailing lawlessness in the state has led to incidents such as the gang rape of an Israeli tourist at the globally renowned tourist destination, Hampi.
Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, raised the issue under the ‘adjournment motion’ in the Assembly on Tuesday.
“Hampi is an internationally recognised tourist destination. I spoke to police officers and learned that most tourists are now vacating the area. More than 60 per cent of tourists visiting Hampi are from Israel. They typically visit Hampi and then travel to Himachal Pradesh. However, following this incident, they are leaving in large numbers,” Ashoka stated.
“They are vacating homestays owned by Kannada people and are literally left on the streets. This has resulted in a significant revenue loss for the state,” he stressed.
“There is now a permanent black mark on Hampi as a global tourist destination. It will take nearly 10 years to rebuild the confidence of foreign tourists in the state’s law and order system,” Ashoka stated.
Recalling the incident, Ashoka said, “The gang rape of an Israeli female tourist in Hampi occurred on March 6. She was part of a group of five tourists who were listening to music and enjoying the moonlight by the Tungabhadra River. Three accused individuals attacked one of the tourists from Odisha, causing a head injury. They pushed him into the river, and due to his injury, he was unable to swim back. The other two tourists, despite being pushed into the river, managed to escape. Later, the Israeli woman and an Indian homestay owner were sexually assaulted.”
Ashoka criticised the Congress government, stating that it was shifting blame onto homestays instead of addressing the law and order situation.
“The Chief Minister claims his government is receiving global appreciation, as mentioned in the Governor’s speech. However, the reputation of Karnataka has suffered a serious blow at the global level due to this incident,” he said.
“The CM also falsely claimed that the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) came to Karnataka on his invitation. In reality, the UNGA President visited Delhi and Bengaluru on his own. Yet, Siddaramaiah released a press statement claiming that the UNGA President met him and appreciated his government’s guarantee schemes,” Ashoka chided.
BJP MLA V. Sunil Kumar added that the government must be held accountable for the damage the Hampi incident has caused to the tourism sector.
Ashoka further slammed the government, stating, “Since this government came to power, there is no connection between the Home Department and the law and order system. It is unclear who is managing the affairs of the department. It is an open secret that district ministers are running the show.”
Ashoka also raised concerns over another incident in Ramanagara, located 60 kilometres from Bengaluru.
“Slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ have been written at four different places on the walls of Toyota Company. The company has filed a police complaint. Where have we reached?” the BJP leader questioned.
“Earlier, ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised inside the Vidhana Soudha. Now, in a reputed company like Toyota, which employs 10,000 people, such an incident has come to light. The government has taken no action and is trying to hush up the case. People are asking whether this government has any shame left,” Ashoka remarked.
“The miscreants involved in such crimes should be shot. That is the only way to control them,” he demanded.
“I do not generalise, but a few individuals have brought shame to the entire community. No action has been taken yet. Toyota is an international company with CCTV cameras installed everywhere. Despite this, the government has failed to act. Whose interests is this government protecting?” the BJP leader questioned.
Referring to the recent murder of nurse Swati in Haveri district, Ashoka criticised the police’s handling of the case.
Swati, a nurse, lost her father to electrocution. She was one of three daughters. She used to attend bull-taming sports with friends. On March 6, she went missing in Ranebennur town. Her mother filed a missing complaint on March 7.
Swati was fond of taking photos with bulls. She met Nayaz and fell in love. Later, she was introduced to Vinay and Durgachari, and became friends with them. Their relationship continued for two years. One day, the trio lured her into a Bolero car, claiming they wanted to discuss her marriage with Nayaz.
They took her to an abandoned school building, strangled her to death using a saffron scarf, and kept her body overnight. Later, they threw her body into the river. Three days later, her body was found floating in the river with strangulation marks and the scarf still around her neck.
“Despite an FIR being filed, the police cremated her body without informing her mother. Why was this done?” Ashoka asked.
“The police’s failure is evident in this case,” he emphasised.
Ashoka also referred to the Neha Hiremath murder case, stating, “When Neha Hiremath was murdered, the government should have taken immediate action. They did not. Many such incidents have occurred, but the government has not taken them seriously. Had strict action been taken earlier, this incident could have been prevented.”
Neha Hiremath, a college student, was repeatedly stabbed to death on campus by a jilted lover in Hubballi.
Ashoka further mentioned Kannada actress Ranya Rao’s arrest in connection with a gold smuggling case.
“There are allegations that serving ministers are involved in the case. However, no statement has been made so far, and no action has been taken. This needs to be investigated,” he stated.
“These are shameful incidents. No arrests have been made in the Ramanagara case. Is this government even functioning? Karnataka has turned into a lawless state under Congress rule,” Ashoka criticised.
He also pointed out that ministers were not attending the Assembly session, showing their lack of seriousness.
Speaker U.T. Khader, commenting on the absence of ministers, said, “By not attending the session and failing to arrive on time, ministers are tarnishing the reputation of their own government.”
“If ministers are unwilling to attend the session, why did they become ministers? They all show up when the Chief Minister is present in the Assembly, but they should attend even in his absence,” Khader remarked.
BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal added, “When the Chief Minister speaks, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s camp is absent. When the Deputy CM speaks, the CM’s camp ministers do not attend.”
Home Minister G. Parameshwara will respond to the discussion on the state’s law and order situation after BJP members conclude their statements.
(IANS)
