Bengaluru, Aug 13 (IANS) Karnataka BJP raised the Koppal Hindu activist murder case in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday and demanded that the probe be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The party also urged the government to provide Rs 50 lakh in compensation to the deceased’s family.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJP state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said, “In Koppal, on August 3, a brutal murder took place. Gavisiddappa Nayaka, a Hindu activist belonging to the Valmiki community, was hacked to death. The reason for the murder was that Gavisiddappa was in a relationship with a girl from another religion. At about 7.30 p.m., one Syed attacked him with a machete and killed him brutally.”

“This has become national news. The important fact is that the accused killer had made Instagram posts showing machetes, created reels, and uploaded them before committing the murder. The police department failed to take precautionary measures, which resulted in this brutal incident,” he said.

He said that after the murder, the Valmiki Mahasabha and all Hindu organisations staged protests and observed a bandh, and it was only after a bandh was called and the case got highlighted that the police woke up and arrested two or three persons in the case.

The BJP leader said that Gavisiddappa hailed from a poor family, and his father, Ningappa, lodged a complaint.

“We are making two demands. The deceased hailed from a poor family. His father is a daily wage labourer and has three daughters. It is impossible for him to run the family. I urge the government to provide compensation. Earlier, in the Mohammad Fazil murder case reported from Mangaluru, the government had given his family Rs 25 lakh in compensation,” he said.

“Considering the poor background of the deceased’s family, the state government must provide at least Rs 50 lakh in compensation. The family should also be given two acres of land, and one family member should be provided with a government job,” he demanded.

“Importantly, this is a serious case. The murder was carried out in a manner similar to the killing of Mangaluru Hindu activist Suhas Shetty. I urge that this case be handed over to the NIA, because no one in the state has faith in the police department. The state must take this matter seriously and hand it over to the NIA,” Vijayendra appealed.

Former Deputy CM and BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan said the government had no shame, as the killer was arrested three days after the incident. “Is this government dead or functioning?” he questioned.

Koppal District In-charge Minister Shivaraj Tangadgi said he had visited the deceased’s residence and that action had been initiated in the case.

BJP legislators stood up and criticised the Congress-led government for its handling of the case.

Speaker U.T. Khader intervened and advised BJP leaders to bring up the matter under other provisions if they wanted a discussion in the House. He said that during Zero Hour, members can make statements but cannot hold discussions. He further stated that the government would respond to the issue later.

–IANS

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