Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha demands Eshwarappa’s arrest

Akhila Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has demanded the arrest of BJP leader K S Eshwarappa in connection with the death of Belagavi-based contractor Santosh K Patil.

In a WhatsApp message, Santosh had accused Eshwarappa and his associates of being responsible for his death. The resignation of Eshwarappa from the cabinet of Basavaraj Bommai is not sufficient. There are chances of him influencing the investigation and also destroying the evidence using his political power. Hence, he should be arrested immediately, Mahasabha state president Rajesh Pavithran told reporters in Mangaluru.

Eshwarappa should be booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and should be sacked from the party, he said.

Further, he claimed that Hindu activists are losing their lives in Karnataka. The party which came to power using the Hindutva card has been misusing Hindu activists for their political gain. The resignation of Eshwarappa is just an eyewash as the Assembly election is fast approaching in Karnataka.

“We do not have any trust that the government which failed to control six girl students in the hijab controversy will be able to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Santosh Patil. The family of RTI activist and BJP worker Vinayaka Baliga who was murdered in Mangaluru is still waiting for justice. A high-level probe should be conducted into the death of Santosh Patil,” he demanded.

Mahasabha general secretary Dharmendra asked whether the stand on corruption by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not applicable to Karnataka.

He dared Eshwarappa to come to Dharmasthala for a truth test to claim that he and his cabinet colleagues were not involved in any corrupt practices or accepting a commission from contractors.

Let Eshwarappa come for an open discussion on whether public works are not carried out without a work order in Karnataka. There are several instances wherein engineers get the emergency work done through contractors without a work order, he added.

“This is not the story of Eshwarappa alone. The majority of MLAs are engaged in 40% commission. There is a need to conduct a probe into it by dissolving the state government through the governor. The probe should be conducted by a retired judge,” he said.