Protests across state over Hubballi college student Neha’s brutal murder on campus

BENGALURU: Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged protests across the state on Saturday, a day after Hubballi college student Neha Hiremath, who was brutally murdered on her college campus on Thursday, was laid to rest in Hubballi.

ABVP activists staged a protest in front of Home Minister G Parameshwara’s residence in Bengaluru on Saturday.

In Bengaluru, hundreds of activists gathered in front of Home Minister G Parameshwara’s residence and vented their anger at him. They also demanded stringent punishment for the accused Fayaz Babasaheb Khondunayak and that the government should stop appeasing one community. The case should be fasttracked, they demanded. Ever since the Congress government assumed power, there is no protection for Hindus, they charged.

In Hubballi, several religious leaders from the district joined the protest in the morning despite the rain and demanded protection for women. “The issue should not be politicised by parties and they should strive to maintain harmony in society. When the entire state is mourning, it is wrong to politicise the issue as jove jihad or personal relationship. Neha’s death should not be politicised”, they said.

Protests were also held in Ballari.

In Bidar, Hindu groups and BJP activists staged a massive protest demanding stringent action against the accused. Girl students demanded that Fayaz should be shot dead on the road. They also condemned the ‘irresponsible’ statement of the Home Minister, who had said that Neha and Fayaz were in a relationship.

A massive protest was held in Kalaburagi on Saturday.

Activists of ABVP took out a procession in Vijayapura, beating a picture of Fayaz with footwear, and presented a memorandum to the deputy commissioner. At Munavalli in Savadatti taluk of Belagavi, a three-day mourning has been declared with shops and businesses remaining shut voluntarily. A protest was also staged on Saturday demanding death penalty for Fayaz.

Similar protests and rallies were held in Ballari, Chikkodi, Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Koppal, Madikeri, Mangaluru, Raichur, Ramanagara and Yadgir.