Karnataka BJP President Demands Apology from Congress Leaders Over Mangaluru Blast Incident

Bengaluru, April 28: Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra welcomed the sentencing of the main accused, Mohammad Shareek, to ten years of rigorous imprisonment in the Mangaluru cooker blast case. He stated that this decision reinforces the nation’s firm stance against terrorism.

Vijayendra also called on Congress leaders to apologize for their statements made in support of the accused following the incident. He claimed that some leaders referred to the accused as ‘brother’ and labeled the blast as an ‘accident,’ attempting to justify acts of terrorism.

He insisted that if these leaders hold any moral responsibility, they should seek forgiveness from the people of the state. The verdict in the Mangaluru cooker blast case demonstrates that there is no place in this system for forces that threaten national security, he added. He further emphasized that the efficiency of central investigative agencies and the judiciary’s strict approach should instill confidence among the public.

Vijayendra launched a sharp attack on leaders of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), accusing them of practicing appeasement politics by supporting anti-national elements in the early stages of the case. He warned that such behavior, which he described as aligning with anti-national elements for political gain, poses a serious threat to internal security.

Reiterating his party’s stance, Vijayendra stated that terrorism knows no religion and there can be no forgiveness for acts of terrorism or those who support them.

It is noteworthy that in December 2022, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar sparked a major controversy by questioning the official designation of the Mangaluru cooker blast as a ‘terrorist act.’ He alleged that the then-ruling BJP government was using the blast, which occurred in an auto-rickshaw, to divert attention from a voter data theft scandal in Bengaluru. He raised concerns about how the police could label a suspect as a terrorist without a thorough investigation.

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SD/AS