Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai made the announcement on the night of July 27 saying that the state will create a commando force with specialized training, intelligence, weapons, and resources to hunt down anti-national and terrorist organizations planning to disturb the calm and incite intercommunal conflict in the state.

CM Bommai was speaking at an emergency press conference in response to the turmoil.

To commemorate Bommai’s one year in power, the Karnataka BJP had planned an official ceremony at Soudha and “Janotsava,” a large rally at Doddaballapur, for Thursday. JP Nadda, the BJP’s national president, was supposed to be there. Karnataka CM announced that “Janotsava” won’t be celebrated and a second press conference would take place on Thursday. He said, “My mind wasn’t at peace after hearing the news, I gave directions to act on it then & there… it happened just a few days after Harsha’s (Bajrang Dal activist) death… It’s inhuman and condemnable.”

In addition, he said that such forces won’t be spared under any circumstances. He promised that the perpetrators would be apprehended quickly, but he was unable to provide further details due to the inter-state nature of the problem.

He had promised the family justice earlier in the day on Wednesday. He added, “We will not rest till the culprits who perpetrated the heinous act in Mangaluru that provokes social unrest and discord are crushed.”

When discussing the collaboration of the investigation between Kerala and Karnataka Police, he said, “Praveen was killed in Mangaluru on Tuesday. Orders have been issued for stringent action against the culprits. Karnataka police officers are in constant touch with their Kerala counterparts to nab the murderers. Mangaluru, Superintendent of Police, has spoken to Kasaragod, Superintendent of Police. Our Director General of Police has also taken up the issue with the Kerala Director General of Police. Teams have been formed, and operations have been launched to nab the killers. The culprits would be nabbed soon and severely punished.”

On Wednesday, when the murder of Praveen Nettaru came to light the state went into a tense position. After this incident, BJYM members tendered mass resignations stating that Hindus are not safe. Karnataka BJP MLA Renukacharyra also threatened to resign stating that the state’s Hindu population is not safeguarded.

Praveen Nettaru, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha, was killed by unidentified assailants on July 26. According to accounts, the murderers arrived on a bike in the late evening in Bellari, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, and attacked Nettaru with sharp weapons. When the attack occurred, Nettaru, who owned a poultry company, was closing his store. After the attack, the perpetrators ran away. Nettaru was declared dead on being taken to hospital.

 

 

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