Cong-JDS imposing "emergency like situation" in Karnataka: BJP

Bengaluru: Accusing the Karnataka government of imposing an “emergency” like situation in the state, the opposition BJP has asked it to focus on governance, instead of randomly arresting people in the name of some “ridiculed strange act”.

“Dear Karnataka government, random arrest of people in the name of some ridiculed strange act, won’t help you.

Please focus on governance. And do the needful. #EmergencyInKarnataka” Karnataka BJP said in a tweet.

The BJP’s attack on the government is seen as a reaction to the arrest of a journalist of a web portal and another person here for allegedly circulating fake news and a morphed photo of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and a Kannada actress.

A Gangadhar, owner of UKSuddi.in and Ajith Shetty Heranje, a BJP sympathiser, were arrested Thursday, a police officer at the High Grounds police station said.

State BJP General Secretaries Arvind Limbavali and C T Ravi have hit out at the Congress-JD(S) coalition government for their action on “nationalists” in the last few days, while those “abusing” Hindus are roaming free.

“In the last 1 week Cong-JDS coalition in Karnataka has arrested 5 nationalist youths for raising their voice against corrupt & divisive administration of @hd_kumaraswamy The pseudo secular parties have imposed #EmergencyInKarnataka by curbing the freedom of expression of citizens,” Limbavali tweeted.

Ravi in his tweet said, “CONgress – JD (S)Government has brutally murdered Democracy by arresting Nationalists on flimsy reasons.

People who attempted to divideHinduism and Vested Interests who abuse Hindus on a dailybasis are roaming free mocking at the Law. #EmergencyInKarnataka.”

The leaders have listed out the arrest of journalist Hemanth Kumar for allegedly circulating on social media a ‘fake letter’ purportedly written by state Home minister M B Patil to Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi in 2017 on religion tag to the Lingayat sect.

The arrest of a BJP supporter from Hubballi, Shruti Bellakki, for her viral video, where she appealed to Lingayats to be cautious about the conspiracy against Hinduism to divide it by giving religion tag to Lingayat sect for political gain, among others, has also been cited.