Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 4: The BJP on Tuesday, March 4 raised strong objections in the Legislative Assembly over the FIR filed against its MLA Vedavyas Kamath, accusing the Congress government of misusing the police force for political vendetta.

The FIR was registered following a clash at a religious event at Sri Krishna Bhajana Mandir in Mangaluru on March 3. The incident, which escalated into an alleged altercation, led to cases being filed against both parties involved. One of the complaints accused Kamath of instigating his supporters to attack the complainant.

Senior BJP MLA Arvind Bellad brought up the matter during zero hour, questioning the rationale behind the FIR against Kamath despite no wrongdoing on his part. He alleged that the complaint was politically motivated and filed at the behest of a Congress worker.

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka termed the Congress government’s actions as "goonda raj," stating that filing FIRs without substantial evidence was an unacceptable abuse of power. BJP general secretary and MLA V Sunil Kumar echoed this sentiment, questioning how legislators could discharge their duties if cases were lodged against them arbitrarily.

Denying any involvement in the incident, Kamath challenged the authorities to produce evidence against him. "Do the police have any video recordings or CCTV footage to prove my guilt? If the charges against me are proven, I am willing to walk out of this session," he declared.

Responding to the concerns, home minister G Parameshwara maintained that FIRs are registered based on complaints received, but assured that if there was any procedural lapse, it would be reviewed. "I will gather all the details and provide a response by tomorrow," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP workers in Mangaluru staged a protest outside the Mini Vidhana Soudha, condemning the FIR against Kamath. The protest was led by BJP MP Brijesh Chowta, who accused the Congress government of targeting elected representatives through false cases.

Chowta also alleged bias in police action, pointing out that when Congress MLC Ivas D’Souza made a controversial statement about Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, the police sought a legal opinion before proceeding. However, in Kamath’s case, an FIR was registered immediately without any verification, he claimed.