BJP core committee seeks CBI probe into Ballari violence

Bengaluru: The BJP state core committee on Monday decided to seek an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Ballari violence incident.

Addressing reporters, MLC C T Ravi said: “We don’t feel any inquiry by the state government will be fair and impartial… It’s clear that there was an attack on BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy’s house, an attempt to kill him. By mistake, a Congress cadre got killed. The state core committee has decided that a CBI inquiry is adequate and has decided to urge for it.”

Ravi also explained that the state president B Y Vijayendra had been given powers to discuss the list of BJP candidates for the upcoming MLC polls with NDA partner JD(S) and send a final list to the BJP Parliamentary Board.

The MLC also explained that the core committee had discussed the candidate selection for the upcoming by-elections to Bagalkot and Davanagere South constituencies, necessitated due to the demise of Congress legislators H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).

The meeting is also said to have discussed undertaking a movement to oppose the policies of the ruling Congress. The core committee meeting was attended by BJP Parliamentary Board Member B S Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and so on.

The BJP district-level meetings also began on Monday and will go on till January 13.