Praveen murder: ‘Resignations of BJP workers may hit party in upcoming Assembly polls’

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 30 (ANI): The resignation 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 and his home constituency (Dakshina Kannada).
After Praveen's killing, BJPYM workers and office bearers from various districts including Vijayapur, Bagalkote, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Hubli 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 Tumkur, BJP workers staged a protest in front of the District Collector'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 risen 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 BJPYM office bearers not to resign from their posts. He has promised that the party will never 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 interstate dimension. The issue has been discussed with state DG and IG 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 would be installed at all border crossing spots along the Kerala border.
Checkpoints would 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 would be filled, night patrolling would be intensified and an additional battalion of KSRP would be deployed in Dakshina Kannada district, the chief minister said.
It has also been decided to intensify the investigation into the murder that happened yesterday in Suratkhal. Special teams should be constituted to crack the case. The chief minister said peace meetings would be held with religious leaders at the district level.
Earlier on Thursday Karnataka Police said that they have arrested two people in connection with the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha worker Nettaru. (ANI)