Demonstrations over the brutal murder of Karnataka student Neha Hiremath continued at multiple locations in the state on Monday, the fourth consecutive day, as people demanded stringent punishment for accused Faraz, a former classmate who allegedly killed the 23-year-old MCA student for spurning his advances.
Neha was the daughter of Congress councillor Niranjan Hiremath. She was stabbed by Mohammad Fayaz at BVB College in Hubbali, Karnataka, on April 18.
The accused has been arrested, and his father is among those seeking tough punishment for him. While he was quoted as saying in a PTI report that the two had been in a relationship, Niranjan Hiremath has alleged it is a case of 'love jihad'.
Niranjan Hiremath, a councillor in the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, has requested the local bar association to not provide Fayaz with a lawyer, saying no bail plea should be filed on his behalf either. "I urge everyone in the region to not help the man in any way. He should stay in jail and die there... I will not sit quiet until he is hanged... I urge the courts, the bar association, and the police to take strict action in cases of love jihad and punish the perpetrators."
"One person has been arrested so far out of four. I demand that the others be arrested at the earliest... If this is not 'love jihad', then what is? He confessed that he loved my daughter and she refused. So he killed her... For 'love jihad', they target girls of good families... I am thankful for all the support we have got in these difficult times. An encounter should happen, or he should be hanged at the earliest," he said, as reported by ANI.
The case has also triggered a political showdown between the state's ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied a 'love jihad' angle even as he promised quick action in the case, and state Home Minister G. Parameshwara, according to an India Today report, said that the two had a "mutual relationship".
The BJP, meanwhile, has echoed councillor Hiremath's allegations.
Nadda Accuses CM Siddaramaiah Of 'Diluting' Neha Murder Case
Hitting out at the Karnataka Congress, BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on X, "No Congress leader has visited Niranjan Hiremath, father of slain Neha Hiremath, who was stabbed to death by Fayaz. The helpless father now blames the Congress Govt in Karnataka for being soft and slow on his daughter’s killer(s). As if the daughter’s murder wasn’t enough, the family has to deal with Congress’s appeasement politics too. Will Neha ever get justice?"
At a public gathering in Hubballi, BJP national president J.P. Nadda accused Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara of attempting to manipulate and weaken the investigation into Neha Hiremath's murder.
“Look at the statements of Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara. Some say it’s a normal incident, others call it an accident. You want to influence and dilute the investigation. You don’t have the courage to call a spade a spade due to your appeasement politics,” Nadda alleged.
Leaders' Condolences
Karnataka Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar is among the leaders who have visited the Hiremath family to offer condolences. Others include Nadda and former CM Jagadish Shettar.
Karnataka State Commission for Women Chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhary visited the family on Sunday. She had assured Neha's parents that they would get justice as soon as possible. "I told them not to allow anyone to use this incident for their selfish interest or politicising it, because then it will be like insulting Neha. If we are really worried about her, we all have to strongly support and allow the police to conduct a free investigation and, as early as possible, we have to get justice for Neha," she said, as reported by PTI.
BJP Leader Gaurav Bhatia also said, "The Hubbali incident was a heart-wrenching incident. The entire country came together that this victim's family should be given justice...The deceased's father was a Congress Corporator. He is saying that he does not trust the Karnataka government that does appeasement politics," ANI reported.