RSS and BJP worker Rudresh was cremated on Tuesday amid police security. The body was handed over to the family members after a post-mortem at Victoria Hospital.
The body was kept at Milk Colony in Shivajinagar for about three hours for public to pay respects. Thousands of BJP party workers, including former ministers R Ashoka, Shobha Karandlaje, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Aravind Limbavali and MP P C Mohan paid their tributes and consoled the family members.
Ashoka alleged that the Congress government was not serious about arresting the assailants. “The government’s stand is suspicious. Neither the chief minister nor the Home Minister have met the family members so far and consoled them. The police are tight-lipped about the investigation as they are under political pressure. The BJP will organise state-wide protests on Wednesday seeking justice for the murdered BJP and RSS workers,” he said.
MP Shobha Karandlaje alleged that the suspects were linked to Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Popular Front of India. The BJP would intensify the protests if the two organisations were not banned.
She alleged that goons in Kerala were hired only for murdering BJP workers in Karnataka. Several BJP workers were murdered across the state in the past few months. There was a political angle to the murders, she alleged.
Compensation
Aravind Limbavali demanded compensation to Rudresh’s family members. “He was the lone bread winner in the family. Rudresh did not have real estate or financial disputes with anybody. He was murdered as he was attached to the BJP,” he alleged.
The procession to Kallapalli burial ground began around 2.30 pm. It passed through Shivajinagar, Commercial Street, Pulakeshinagar and Old Madras Road. The BJP workers raised slogans against the government as they went in the procession.
The police had blocked all entry roads to Shivajinagar. The Shivajinagar bus stand wore a deserted look as BMTC had withdrawn buses to the terminus and stopped them at Balekundri Circle and Cubbon Road.
There was congestion on Cubbon Road, Police Thimmaiah Circle, Queen’s Circle and TTMC Junction. The police deployed additional men at BRV Junction and Kamaraj junction due to heavy traffic. Bus services partially resumed towards the evening.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in Shivajinagar, Commercial Street, Bharathinagar and Pulikeshinagar due to prohibitory orders. The police had deployed additional forces to ensure law and order.
Additional Commissioner (East) P Harishekharan, DCPs Dr Boralingaiah and N Satheesh Kumar camped at Shivajinagar monitoring the security situation.
Published 18 October 2016, 21:32 IST