The Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka chapter organized widespread demonstrations on Monday condemning the tragic murder of Neha Hiremath, a student pursuing an MCA degree and the daughter of a Congress leader.
Responding to the public outcry and the appeals from Neha's family, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah declared that the investigation into the murder case would be entrusted to the Criminal Investigation Department.
Neha's father, Niranjan Hiremath, asserted on Monday that his daughter was coerced into conversion, criticizing the Karnataka Police for allegedly being under the sway of the state government.
The BJP lambasted the Congress administration for its alleged indulgence in appeasement politics, which, they claim, has led to a deterioration of law and order in the state. The party declared it would withhold protests until the accused, Fayaz Kondikoppa, is brought to justice by capital punishment.
Across district headquarters, thousands of party activists staged demonstrations demanding justice for Neha Hiremath, with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad joining in solidarity.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, leading a protest in Haveri, insisted that the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Bommai suggested that the manner in which the assailant brutally stabbed Neha to death in broad daylight indicates possible accomplices and motives beyond personal grudges.
Bommai drew parallels with a previous instance where the BJP government expedited the execution of an accused in a heinous rape case in Chikkamagaluru. He emphasized Niranjan Hiremath's lack of faith in the state police and called for CBI intervention, vowing continued protests until justice is served.
Addressing a gathering in Mysuru, B.Y. Vijayendra, the head of Karnataka's BJP unit, pledged that the women of the state would deliver a strong message to the Congress government for its perceived leniency towards criminals.
Vijayendra criticized the Chief Minister for allegedly shielding murderers instead of ensuring their incarceration.
Neha Hiremath, an MCA student, met a tragic end when she was fatally stabbed by Fayaz Kondikoppa at a college campus in Hubballi. The accused was apprehended by fellow students and handed over to the authorities.
While State Home Minister G. Parameshwara claimed that Neha and the accused were involved in a romantic relationship, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah refuted assertions of it being a case of "love jihad."
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