BENGALURU: The mass resignations of BJP Yuva Morcha office bearers, including the social media management team of the party across the state, in connection with the murder case of BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru, is likely to pose a major setback for the party in the upcoming Assembly elections, according to a senior BJP leader.
The party has seen outrage against the leadership of BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel in his home constituency (Dakshina Kannada).
After Praveen’s killing, BJYM workers and office bearers from various districts including Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Hubballi and Koppal resigned and sent a message to the party leaders and the government.
Chikkamagaluru district Yuva Morcha president Sandeep Arivinangadi reached out to the workers and persuaded them to revert their decision to resign.
In addition, around 100 people who were managing the social media accounts of the party have announced that they will stay away from it. In Tumakuru, BJP workers staged a protest in front of the district Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted their resignation.
In a major setback to the party, the youth wing leaders have expressed their apprehensions on social media regarding the Bommai cabinet’s ability to protect the party’s ideology. The situation has arisen as most of the ministers in the cabinet are former members of JDS and Congress.
A party leader, Rekha Shambu of Hubballi, said in her resignation that religion is important for them and that religion is their first priority.
BJP state campaigner M G Mahesh on Thursday appealed to BJYM office bearers not to resign from their posts. He has promised that the party will not let them down.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has decided to hand over the probe into BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru’s murder case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Speaking to media persons, the chief minister said the murder of the young BJP worker was a planned and organised crime. “It has an inter-state dimension. The issue has been discussed with the state DG&IGP and complete details have been sought. We will write to the Union Home Ministry requesting for investigation by the NIA,” he said.
Giving details on tougher security measures, Bommai said CCTV cameras will be installed at all border crossing spots along the Kerala border. Checkpoints will be set up, temporary police camps would be set up at sensitive spots in villages in the coastal region. The vacant posts in the police department will be filled, night patrolling intensified and an additional battalion of KSRP will be deployed in Dakshina Kannada district, the chief minister said. (ANI)