Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 6: Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Wednesday recalled a harrowing experience from his visit to a Maoist-affected region in Chikkamagaluru district, describing how he had to travel under heavy police caution as if he were a ‘thief’.

Speaking during the Legislative Session debate on the Governor’s address, Ashoka shared the unsettling episode from his tenure as health minister. He recounted a visit to Karkala, the constituency of BJP MLA Sunil Kumar in Udupi district, where security protocols left him baffled.

“The superintendent of police and other officers asked me to turn off the siren and lights of my vehicle. When I questioned this, they pleaded with me, hands folded, to comply. I had no choice but to travel almost 60 kilometres like a thief. At the guest house in the middle of the forest, I spent the entire night sitting on a chair, unable to sleep due to fear,” he said.

Ashoka recalled the chilling atmosphere, noting how 200 police personnel were stationed a kilometre away, leaving him feeling vulnerable. "If someone had fired a shot through the tile roof, I would not have survived. If I, as a minister, felt such fear, imagine the plight of ordinary villagers," he added.

Home minister G Parameshwara, in a light-hearted moment, asked if Ashoka still considered Sunil Kumar a friend after the ordeal. Ashoka affirmed their friendship despite the experience.

Turning his attention to the recent surrender of Naxals in Karnataka, Ashoka echoed Sunil Kumar's skepticism. He questioned the authenticity of the sudden surrender, suggesting it seemed orchestrated.

“If they had genuinely come forward to surrender, it would have been credible. But the way they suddenly appeared after the government's call raises doubts. The so-called ‘urban Naxals’ who support them are even more dangerous,” he remarked.