Bengaluru, July 22 — A Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation headed by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner, demanding immediate action against those allegedly involved in the attack on a BJP legislator by Congress workers.
Warning of a protest if the accused are not arrested, Ashoka said BJP MLAs and MLCs would stage a demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue near Vidhana Soudha on July 23.
Addressing the media in Bengaluru after meeting Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, Ashoka alleged that the attack on BJP legislators took place while they were in police custody and accused the police machinery of failing to protect elected representatives.
He alleged that the attack was carried out at the direction of the Congress party and held Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar directly responsible, describing the incident as a “pre‑planned act”.
Ashoka further claimed that weapons such as machetes were present at the Congress office and alleged that more dangerous materials could also have been stored there. He also referred to earlier controversies involving Congress workers, alleging that individuals who had raised “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans had links to the party.
Calling the Congress office an “anti‑national office”, Ashoka said the BJP had lodged a formal complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and urged the police not to suppress the case. “There was an attempt to kill us. We have warned the authorities against covering up the incident,” he said.
He questioned what he described as the selective application of the law, stating that Congress workers had protested outside the BJP state office on several occasions without facing similar restrictions.
The Leader of the Opposition said the BJP had given the police until 10 p.m. on Wednesday to arrest those responsible for the alleged assault. “If the attackers are not arrested, BJP legislators and Legislative Council members will hold a protest in front of Gandhi’s statue near Vidhana Soudha against Shivakumar’s ‘goonda government’ and in defence of democracy,” he said.
Ashoka added that he would discuss the party’s future course of action with Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra and reiterated that those seen carrying weapons during the incident had come from the Congress office.
It can be recalled that Karnataka BJP leaders marching towards the KPCC headquarters in Bengaluru to protest against Congress for playing politics over the NEET row and ignoring the state’s issues were detained by the police on Wednesday.
Congress workers had gathered in large numbers and targeted senior BJP MLA B.P. Harish, who arrived directly at the KPCC office. As soon as he stepped out of his vehicle, Congress workers surrounded him and raised slogans against the BJP.
Even as the police rushed to rescue him, Congress workers allegedly hurled eggs at him. The police escorted him to a nearby lane and diverted the protesters.