Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) women’s wing, Mahila Morcha, organized a candlelight vigil in Bengaluru on Tuesday, vehemently demanding justice for the heinous murder of 23-year-old Neha Hiremath. Neha was tragically stabbed to death within the confines of her college campus in Hubballi last week.
The gathering of women activists took place near Freedom Park, where they held a solemn condolence meeting for Neha and staged a powerful demonstration to denounce the heinous crime. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje, along with an array of BJP supporters, joined the protest, adding their voices to the chorus of condemnation.
The protestors expressed their deep anguish over the incident and demanded a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They implored the authorities to swiftly apprehend the perpetrator and administer the strictest possible punishment, including capital punishment. The protestors held the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government accountable for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, asserting that the brutal murder of Neha within the supposed safety of her college campus starkly highlights the vulnerability faced by women in Karnataka.
S Harish, BJP District President (Bangalore North), articulated the protestors’ demands, emphasizing the urgent need to hang the perpetrator of Neha’s murder at the earliest. He decried the lack of protection for women under the current government, stating that murders were being committed in broad daylight, reflecting the severe decline in law and order. He expressed the palpable fear and uncertainty felt by parents, questioning the safety of their daughters attending college.
The protestors demanded a thorough CBI inquiry into the incident, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and impartial investigation. Meanwhile, in Hubballi, the BJP’s student wing, ABVP, organized a torchlight march from BVB College to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, reiterating their demand for justice for Neha and calling for a CBI probe into the crime.
Neha Hiremath, a first-year Master of Computer Applications (MCA) student, was tragically stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College last Thursday. The accused, Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled the scene, was subsequently apprehended by the police. The motive behind the murder remains under investigation, but the incident has sparked widespread condemnation and protests, fueling a political slugfest between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP in Karnataka. The Congress party has attributed the motive to a personal angle, while the BJP has labeled it a case of ‘love jihad’ and claims it is symptomatic of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Monday that the government has decided to transfer the investigation to the Crime Investigation Department and establish a special court to ensure a speedy disposal of the case.
