Mangaluru stabbing incident: R Ashoka refutes allegations of 'provocative slogans' against BJP workers, demands release of video footage

Mangaluru: The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly R Ashoka urged the police to release the footage of provocative slogans raised by the BJP workers. "I have watched the entire video. There were no provocative slogans except Bharat mata ki jai", he said.

"Is raising slogans of Bharat mata ki jai provocative? In Karnataka, if one raises the slogans of Bharat Mata, Jai Shri Ram, then they are stabbed with a dagger", he told media persons.

Terming it as a pre-planned murder attempt, he sought to know from where the accused got hold of the dagger. "The BJP will not keep quiet. A meeting of the BJP state president, and other leaders will be held at Bengaluru on Thursday to discuss the future course of action. We will raise the issue in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council", he said.

"Further, the slogans were raised on a public road, and not inside the masjid. A counter case has been registered against Hindu workers on the following day following the complaint submitted by the masjid president. Why did they not file a complaint on the same day? The counter complaint was registered to weaken the main case of stabbing. The government should withdraw the counter case that was booked", said Ashoka.

He demanded the district administration to bear the treatment expenses of those injured in the stabbing and assault, and also urged the government to pay compensation to the victims.

"Siddaramaiah is running a Taliban government in the state. After the Congress government came to power, all the miscreant forces come back to life. There is a rise in crime rate by 40 per cent in Karnataka as per the National Crime Record Bureau. Those who raised pro-Pakistan slogans on the corridors of Vidhana Soudha are released on bail".

"The stabbing incident occurred in assembly speaker U T Khader’s constituency. Neither district-in charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao nor the speaker visited the victims of the stabbing despite visiting the campus of the hospital where they are undergoing treatment. They did not even show the courtesy to visit them and console them", he alleged.

"After the Congress government came to power, four MLAs have been booked by the police. The law and order situation in the state has collapsed completely. One needs to search for the Home Minister. Hindu workers and BJP workers are booked under false cases."

Ashoka had earlier visited those injured in the stabbing at the hospital where they are undergoing treatment.