Bengaluru, August 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) brought up the issue of the recent encounter that resulted in the deaths of three poachers in Chamarajanagar district during the assembly session on Monday. The party accused the government of committing murders under the guise of encounters.
The BJP demanded that the government provide a statement in the assembly. R. Ashok, the leader of the opposition, stated that this incident has shaken the state. He claimed that farmers and the families of the deceased have raised serious questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the operation.
Speaker G.S. Patil intervened, suggesting that question hour should take precedence. However, Ashok urged the Speaker to postpone question hour, asking if the state government was directly responsible for the deaths of the three individuals.
“We need to address this issue and question their deaths. Even the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has responded to this incident,” Ashok remarked.
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the opposition should have given prior notice before raising this matter in the assembly.
Senior BJP legislator V. Sunil Kumar argued that while giving notice is one thing, the government should have made a statement as soon as the session commenced. He questioned, “It has been 24 hours since the incident. Three people are dead, and the government does not want to provide a statement. How can this be?”
Sunil Kumar demanded that Forest and Environment Minister Ramalinga Reddy and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar clarify what transpired. “According to the rules, it is their duty to make a statement. Will you only provide statements after other encounters? This shows how concerned this government is about farmers,” he added.
Addressing Parameshwara, Sunil Kumar asked if the government was avoiding the issue, alleging that the government cannot shoot at farmers. Parameshwara dismissed the accusation, asserting that the government is not evading any responsibility. “There is no question of running away. We will provide a statement. There is no problem. You can give notice,” he said.
Following this, BJP members protested in the assembly, demanding an immediate statement from the government.
Ashok emphasized, “An encounter has taken place. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has stated that security and justice must prevail in Karnataka, where millions of Tamil speakers reside.”
He also questioned why no police officer had been suspended. “The government must provide a statement. Until then, we will not budge from our position,” he insisted.
The Speaker informed that Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy had spoken to him earlier and indicated he would make a statement in the assembly. He had asked the minister to do so after question hour.
On August 15, during an anti-poaching operation in the Shaghya forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district, forest personnel shot and killed three poachers. This incident sparked significant local protests, leading to FIRs against the forest personnel and calls for a judicial inquiry.
Forest officials reported that they seized a country-made gun and deer meat from the scene. They stated that the group consisted of habitual offenders who had illegally entered the protected area. The personnel fired in self-defense after the poachers allegedly attempted to shoot at them.
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