Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 18: The Karnataka BJP has lashed out at the Congress government, holding it responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state following the gang rape of an Israeli tourist at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Leader of the opposition R Ashoka raised the issue in the assembly under the 'adjournment motion' on Tuesday, accusing the Congress administration of failing to ensure the safety of foreign visitors.
“Hampi is an internationally recognised tourist destination. I spoke to police officers and learned that most tourists are now vacating the area. More than 60 percent of tourists visiting Hampi are from Israel. They typically visit Hampi and then travel to Himachal Pradesh. However, following this incident, they are leaving in large numbers,” Ashoka stated.
He said many tourists were vacating homestays owned by local residents, which was affecting the livelihood of Kannada people and resulting in significant revenue loss for the state.
“There is now a permanent black mark on Hampi as a global tourist destination. It will take nearly 10 years to rebuild the confidence of foreign tourists in the state's law and order system,” he added.
Incident details
The gang rape of the Israeli tourist occurred on March 6. She was part of a group of five tourists who were listening to music by the Tungabhadra River when three accused individuals attacked them. One of the tourists from Odisha suffered a head injury after being assaulted and was pushed into the river. Due to his injury, he was unable to swim back. Two other tourists, despite being pushed into the river, managed to escape. The Israeli woman and an Indian homestay owner were then sexually assaulted.
Ashoka criticised the Congress government for allegedly trying to divert attention by blaming homestays instead of addressing the law and order situation.
“The chief minister claims his government is receiving global appreciation, as mentioned in the governor’s speech. However, the reputation of Karnataka has suffered a serious blow at the global level due to this incident,” he said.
He further accused the chief minister of making misleading claims about the visit of the president of the UN General Assembly, stating that the leader had come to Bengaluru on his own and was not invited by the government, as claimed.
Concerns over Ramanagara graffiti
BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar said the government must be held accountable for the damage the Hampi incident has caused to the tourism sector.
Ashoka also raised concerns over an incident in Ramanagara, where pro-Pakistan slogans were found written on the walls of a Toyota company facility.
“Slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ have been written at four different places. The company has filed a police complaint. Where have we reached?” he questioned.
He recalled a previous incident where similar slogans were allegedly raised inside the Vidhana Soudha and criticised the government for not taking stringent action.
“The miscreants involved in such crimes should be shot. That is the only way to control them,” he said.
He also questioned the lack of arrests in the case and accused the government of attempting to suppress the issue.
Murder of nurse Swati
Referring to the murder of a nurse named Swati in Haveri district, Ashoka alleged lapses by the police in handling the case.
Swati, a nurse who lost her father to electrocution, was one of three daughters. On March 6, she went missing in Ranebennur town. Her mother filed a missing complaint on March 7.
Ashoka said Swati had befriended three men—Nayaz, Vinay, and Durgachari—over the past two years. On the pretext of discussing her marriage, they took her in a vehicle to an abandoned school building, strangled her to death using a saffron scarf, and kept her body overnight before dumping it into a river. Three days later, her body was found floating with strangulation marks and the scarf still around her neck.
“Despite an FIR being filed, the police cremated her body without informing her mother. Why was this done?” he asked.
Neha Hiremath murder case
Ashoka also referred to the murder of college student Neha Hiremath, who was stabbed to death on campus in Hubballi. He accused the government of failing to take timely action.
“When Neha Hiremath was murdered, the government should have taken immediate action. They did not. Many such incidents have occurred, but the government has not taken them seriously. Had strict action been taken earlier, this incident could have been prevented,” he said.
Gold smuggling case involving Kannada actress
Ashoka further mentioned Kannada actress Ranya Rao’s arrest in connection with a gold smuggling case, alleging that certain ministers were involved.
“There are allegations that serving ministers are involved in the case. However, no statement has been made so far, and no action has been taken. This needs to be investigated,” he stated.
“These are shameful incidents. No arrests have been made in the Ramanagara case. Is this government even functioning? Karnataka has turned into a lawless state under Congress rule,” he remarked.
Absence of ministers in assembly session
He also pointed out that ministers were not attending the assembly session, showing their lack of seriousness.
Speaker U T Khader, commenting on the absence of ministers, said their non-attendance was tarnishing the reputation of their own government.
“If ministers are unwilling to attend the session, why did they become ministers? They all show up when the chief minister is present in the assembly, but they should attend even in his absence,” Khader remarked.
BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal added that there was an internal divide between the camps of chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, which was reflected in the attendance of ministers during the session.
Home minister G Parameshwara is expected to respond to the discussion on the state’s law and order situation after BJP members conclude their statements.