The Karnataka government today said a probe was on to ascertain whether the attacks on BJP and RSS workers in the state were politically motivated, even as it asked the state police to "act without any preconceived notions."
"These incidents happen in the whole country and Karnataka is no exception," state Home Minister G Parameswara told reporters, adding that Congress and JDS workers have also been victims of such attacks. His statement comes after a BJP councillor and Dalit leader was hacked to death today by unidentified assailants at Anekal in Bengaluru's rural district.
"Investigations are on in the murder of municipal councillor Srinivasa Prasad here to find out if it was a political murder," Parameswara said. "Who are the culprits? Was it a politically motivated murder or real estate or personal reasons were behind the killing of Prasad? Investigations are on," he said. Once the probe is over, action will be taken against the guilty without any compromise, he said and advised the state police to enquire without "preconceived" and "prejudged" notions.
"Congress and JDS workers have also been murdered. Similarly, BJP workers also have been murdered. So, we do not look at it from a political angle," the minister said. Earlier, RSS Media Coordinator for Karnataka, Rajesh Padmar demanded that the state government take strong steps to stop such "politically-motivated" killings.
He also sought an immediate and an impartial probe into the murder of Prasad. "In the last two years, more than 10 RSS-VHP-BJP activists have been killed. It is a dangerous development in a democratic set-up," Padmar alleged. He also said that the deceased was a soft-spoken person and had no criminal cases against him.
The killing of Rudresh, an RSS activist in Bengaluru, last year had raised a political storm with saffron parties staging protests in the state. The issue snowballed into a major controversy when BJP leader and former minister Shobha Karandlaje alleged involvement of a state minister in the incident.
