The Opposition BJP has warned the ruling Congress in Karnataka against labelling every murder in coastal Karnataka as “communal” and alleged the police were behaving like “puppets” of the state government.
A BJP delegation led by state BJP chief BY Vijayendra, LOPs R Ashok and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda and MLA Arvind Bellad landed in Mangaluru on Monday, a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe into the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty.
#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara says, "Central Home Ministry has written a letter to the State government to hand over the case of murder of Suhas Shetty to NIA. Today, we are going to take a decision regarding it..." pic.twitter.com/qWvzAZ4noC
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2025
The MHA while directing the NIA to probe the Suhas Shetty murder case said it was related to “targeted killing” of an individual in public view with the intention to create terror in the minds of people. It said the Centre had received information regarding an FIR by Karnataka Police at Bajpe police station pertaining to attack on Suhas Shetty on June 1, 2025 while he was travelling in a car along with a few others. The FIR said he was attacked by one Safwan and eight other persons and the attack had resulted in critical injuries to Shetty and others, and Shetty had subsequently succumbed to death in the hospital.
While welcoming the NIA probe, the BJP leaders also expressed concern over the local police allegedly threatening the Hindu activists by visiting their homes at night citing ‘externment’ proceedings. The district police has initiated legal process to extern 36 persons including both Hindu and Muslim leaders from across different police station limits.
R Ashok said the delegation had met the district authorities – DC, Commissioner of Police and SP and told them that BJP expected no favour from them but cautioned them against yielding to political pressure and targeting the Hindu activists.
“We have seen what happened to the police in Bengaluru, when the department works under pressure (during RCB victory celebration) from the ruling party,” said Vijayendra, adding that the police should know there is judiciary in this country and that BJP was a national party.
“There is a tendency to paint every incident as communal and this will lead to total collapse of the law and order in the district. The police department is working under pressure from the state government. The Congress government is behaving like a goon and misusing the police force to intimidate the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Hindu Jagran Vedike leaders, only to appease the minority community,” alleged Vijayendra.
The BJP leaders opposed the anti-communal force constituted by the state government in three districts recently stating that it was a ploy to rein in the Hindu activists. “Also, the fact-finding committee led by BK Hariprasad formed by the KPCC is with an intention to create fear in the coastal belt, which is the strong forte of the saffron party,” claimed Vijayendra.
Alleging discrimination by the police, Ashok said, “The police take weeks to arrest the accused when a Hindu leader is killed. But the same police filed an FIR and also arrest the so-called accused overnight when a Muslim gets killed, and without any verification.”
The BJP also alleged that there was information that the murder of Suhas Shetty got funding from the overseas.
“Despite knowing SDPI and now banned PFI were behind the murder, the state government did not handover the case to the NIA. So, the centre had to step in and hand over the case to NIA,” said Vijayendra.
The NIA, which is assigned for national security, counter-terrorism and other matters of national interest, is acting as a puppet of the central government and is being used for political hatred,” alleged Abdul Majeed, state president of the Social Democratic Party of India.
Stating that the local police were effectively probing the murders in the district committed for various reasons like communal enmity between rowdy gangs in matters of finance and property. “Many Muslims have been murdered by Sangh Parivar. Now, when a rowdy sheeter Suhas Shetty is murdered, why did the MHA recommend an NIA probe? As if in retaliation for the murder of Suhas Shetty, Kolthamajalu Abdul Rahman was murdered, and a young man named Kalandar Shapi was fatally attacked. But the NIA will not probe all these,” alleged Majeeb, who wondered if there was Congress government in the state.
“The Congress will not question this discrimination against Muslims. If BJP stabs Muslims in the face, Congress is backstabbing the community,” said Majeed, warning that innocent Muslim youths would languish in jail if arrested under the “dark law” UAPA.
The Suhas Shetty murder case attracts sections under the UAP Act, 1967 as it is related to targeted killing of an individual in public view with the intention to create terror in the minds of people and the accused persons involved in the case are allegedly members of Popular Front of India (PFI), an unlawful association – added the order. The Centre also stated that due to the seriousness, possible national implications, and the larger conspiracy, the MHA had handed the case over to the NIA under the NIA Act, 2008.
The Mangaluru police had an FIR under the sections 189(4), 191(2), 191(3), 126(2), 109, 118(1), 103(1), 61(1), 62, 351(2), 351(3), 190 of BNS, 2023 and sections 3(1), 25 OF Arms Act, 1959.
