BJP MLA accuses Cong of stirring unrest, by exploiting Guv’s decision

Mangaluru: Mangaluru North MLA Dr. Bharath Shetty and Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath have accused the Congress of attempting to create unrest in Karnataka by exploiting Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to sanction the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The accusations were made during a media interaction in Mangaluru on Tuesday evening.

Dr. Bharath Shetty claimed that Congress MLC Ivan D’Souza incited Congress activists during a protest on Monday, urging them to hold demonstrations similar to those in Bangladesh to “drive” the Governor away. This call allegedly led to violent incidents, including stone-pelting at a city bus, and setting a tyre on fire. An elderly woman in the bus was injured during the chaos.

Shetty pointed out that D’Souza’s statement wasn’t an isolated incident, citing a recent comment by senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who mentioned a Bangladesh-style agitation to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power. “There appears to be a calculated effort by the Congress to incite civic unrest across the State,” Shetty stated, adding that the BJP would launch a State-wide agitation to counter these actions.

The city police reportedly thwarted three attempts by Congress activists to set tyres ablaze, but were unable to prevent the fourth incident. Additionally, the police allowed Congress members to block traffic on a busy city road, Shetty noted, urging law enforcement to take a firm stance against such actions.

Shetty concluded by alleging that after a long period of relative peace, the Congress had resorted to violence in Dakshina Kannada as part of their strategy to create turmoil in the region.