Political Tension Continues in Bhatkal Over ‘Moorin Katte’ Demolition, BJP Announces Protest on May 29
Ten people lost their lives and several others were hospitalised after a group entered the Kalinakatta river near Shirali on Sunday morning.
Bhatkal: Political tension continues to rise in Bhatkal following the demolition of the newly rebuilt “Moorin Katte,” with both the BJP and Congress exchanging sharp accusations over the issue.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Bhatkal, BJP district president N S Hegde announced that the party will organise a major protest on May 29 against the demolition of the structure.
He said senior BJP leaders including state BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra, opposition leader R. Ashoka, and Member of Parliament Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri are expected to participate in the protest demonstration.
N S Hegde alleged that instead of taking action against those responsible for demolishing the newly constructed structure, police targeted BJP workers who protested against the incident. He demanded that all cases filed against Hindu activists be withdrawn immediately.
Meanwhile, MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who visited Bhatkal on Wednesday, accused certain groups of attempting to disturb peace and communal harmony in the town. He claimed that the developments which took place in the presence of police during the gathering of thousands of Muslims were unfortunate and condemnable.
Kageri further demanded that the government itself reconstruct the demolished Moorin Katte. He said that if the government fails to do so, organisations should be permitted to rebuild it independently. He also called for strict action against those responsible for the incident.
Before addressing the issue, the MP expressed condolences to the families affected by the recent Shirali tragedy in which several people lost their lives. He noted that the Central Government had announced compensation for the victims and demanded a detailed investigation into the incident along with preventive measures to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
Several BJP leaders were present during the press conference, including former minister Shivanand Naik, former MLA Sunil Naik, BJP Mandal president Lakshminarayana Naik, BJP Mahila Morcha district president Shivani Shantaram, and other party office bearers.