New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party President JP Nadda on Sunday visited the family of Neha Hiremath, who was murdered on her college campus. Neha was the daughter of Congress councillor Niranjan Hiremath and was stabbed by her former classmate Mohammad Fayazz at BVB College in Hubbali, Karnataka. The accused was arrested by the police following the incident.
“BJP expresses deep sorrow and extends its condolences to the aggrieved family. We assure you that justice will be served,” ANI quoted Nadda as saying.
"We condemn the statements made by chief minister Siddaramaiah and state home minister G Parameshwara. Their remarks epitomise appeasement", the BJP chief added, as per a report of HT.
The BJP has accused the Congress government in the state of Karnataka of being lenient towards anti-social elements and attempting to downplay the incident by attributing it to personal reasons. State BJP President BY Vijayendra said that the incident seems to have elements of "love jihad" upon initial scrutiny.
He criticised the chief minister for what he perceives as prioritising the protection of the perpetrators over conducting a comprehensive investigation.
K'taka CM Rejects Notion
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rejected any notion of a "love jihad" angle in the incident and emphasised the state's commitment to upholding law and order. He condemned the incident and assured that the culprit has been apprehended, with a thorough investigation underway to ensure justice is served.
He slammed the BJP for politicising the matter, stating that it is reprehensible for a political party to exploit the murder of a girl for political gains.
Muslim organisations in the area have called for a strike on Monday to protest the murder of the 23-year-old college student. Esmail Tamatgar, president of Anjuman-e-Islam in Dharwad, announced that businesses owned by the Muslim community would observe the strike from 10 am to 3 pm as a gesture of solidarity and mourning for Neha, while also demanding justice, reported HT.
The voting date for the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency election is May 7, which falls in the third phase.