Coward home minister’: Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra faces heat from ABVP members

Highlights

• At least 40 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members were taken into preventive custody as they tried barging into Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s official residence demanding his resignation, in yet another embarrassment to the ruling BJP government.

• The ABVP, a student wing, is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the BJP’s ideological parent.

• The student activists demanded a ban on outfits such as SDPI and PFI. The activists also shouted slogans against Jnanendra, calling him a “coward home minister”.

• In a statement, Jnanendra said he understands the sentiment expressed by the ABVP activists on banning SDPI and PFI. “The government is thinking about this,” he said. “Their demand is that such organisations should be banned in the wake of incidents like the DJ Halli-KG Halli riots and the recent Praveen Nettaru murder,” he said.

• Jnanendra said he was not at home when the ABVP activists came. “They have expressed their feelings in my absence. I will invite them for talks,” he said.

• The BJP government is facing heat from Hindu nationalists following the murder of the party’s Yuva Morcha Praveen Nettaru. Hundreds of BJP office-bearers have resigned in protest against the government.

• Following the protest, the additional commissioner of police (West) Sandeep Patil visited the home minister residence and collected details about the incident.

• “At around 9.30 am, some ABVP workers suddenly started a protest near the home minister’s residence. Police personnel on the spot stopped them at the gate. Still, they forced the gate open and tried to enter the house. Unavoidably, we had to take some 40 people into preventive custody,” Patil said.

• Patil said a report has been sought by the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of the division, once the report is submitted further necessary action will be taken.