‘Pre-planned conspiracy to murder Janardhana Reddy’: LoP R Ashoka on Ballari clash

BENGALURU: Opposition leader in the Assembly, R Ashoka, on Friday said that the clash outside BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy’s residence in Ballari was a “pre-planned conspiracy” to murder the MLA.

Ashoka also claimed that the police have been “pressurised” to label the firing outside Janardhana Reddy’s house a “misfire” after one person was killed in the clash over the banner dispute.

“A group gathered and came and put up banners inside the compound of Janardhan Reddy’s house. What fault is there on the part of Janardhan Reddy in this? They themselves fired the shots, they themselves committed the murder, and now blaming Janardhan Reddy is unforgivable. There was a pre-planned conspiracy to attack Janardhan Reddy and murder him”, he said.

#WATCH | Karnataka: A clash broke out between two groups in the Awambavi area of ​​Ballari city, allegedly over a Valmiki banner issue, last night: SP Ballari

Visuals from the spot pic.twitter.com/ZMejPtwGIV

— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2026

“It is clear who fired the shot. They are now calling it a misfire. If it had happened from Janardhan Reddy’s side, would they have written it as a misfire? There has been pressure from above to write it as a misfire”, he added.

One person was killed in a clash between supporters of Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy outside the latter’s residence in Ballari on Thursday night. Tensions flared when Janardhana Reddy’s supporters objected to putting up banners for an upcoming event to install the Valmiki statue on January 3.

What began as a verbal altercation soon escalated, and the two groups got involved in hand-to-hand combat and stone-pelting, and later firing, prompting police to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, police said.

Ballari SP Ranjith Kumar Bandaru said on Friday, “This dispute has resulted in a rioting situation and stone pelting between Janardhana Reddy’s supporters and the city MLA’s supporters. Even firing took place, and because of the accidental firing, one person, Rajshekhar, died”.

#WATCH | Karnataka: Ranjith kumar Bandaru, SP Ballari, says, “Last evening, a riot incident happened in front of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy’s residence because of a dispute related to putting up a poster regarding the inauguration of a Valmiki statue. This dispute has resulted in a… https://t.co/GEhGoAeGXs pic.twitter.com/lXQdmUKs4C

— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2026

Additionally, R Ashoka alleged that during the violence, BJP leader B Sriramulu was assaulted. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the case.

“The case should be handed over to a judicial inquiry. Tomorrow, such acts should not spread to other districts. Why did they go near Janardhan Reddy’s house and put up banners inside the compound? State leader Sriramulu was pushed and assaulted. This was a pre-planned act to fire at Janardhan Reddy”, he said.

“The Siddaramaiah government is taking the state towards an Andhra Pradesh-style political bloodshed culture. They have registered a murder case against Janardhan Reddy now,” he added.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra criticised the Karnataka government over the incident and said that the police stations have been reduced to extensions

“The incident in Ballari last evening is deeply alarming. In a vulgar display of ‘Goondaism’, thousands of Congress workers and supporters of Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, openly marched through the city with impunity, wielding swords, machetes and sticks,” he said in a post on X.

“Is is crystal clear evidence of Goonda Raj prevailing in Ballari, where police stations have been reduced to extensions of the Karnataka Congressparty office, and it also reflects a wider collapse of law and order across Karnataka under the active patronage of the Congress”, he added. (ANI)