Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada District BJP President Satish Kumpala has strongly condemned the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty in Bajpe and called for the immediate transfer of the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). In a press release issued on Thursday, Kumpala held the Congress-led state government directly responsible for the collapse of law and order in the district.

‘Collapse of law and order’

Kempala accused the Congress government of appeasement politics and claimed that its approach has emboldened radical elements in the region. “The lives of Hindus have become increasingly insecure in Karnataka. Suhas Shetty, a committed activist of a Hindu organisation, was brutally murdered by fanatics who showed no fear of the law. The Congress government is not only responsible but also complicit in failing to protect its citizens,” he said.

He further alleged that Hindu activists are being systematically targeted to erode the influence of Hindutva in Dakshina Kannada, a district traditionally considered a stronghold of the BJP and allied organisations.

Demands for NIA probe

Highlighting a lack of faith in the state police machinery, Kumpala urged the Central Government to transfer the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). “We cannot expect justice from a government that shelters criminals. The Hindu community no longer trusts the Congress administration to deliver justice. Only a central agency like the NIA can uncover the conspiracy behind this heinous act and ensure accountability,” he said.

Warning of unified action

In a strongly worded warning, Kumpala said that the Hindu community is being pushed to a point where united resistance has become inevitable. He described the current atmosphere in Dakshina Kannada as one of fear and insecurity, driven by what he called a politically motivated effort to intimidate Hindu activists and dismantle Hindutva-based organisations.

Political backdrop

The murder of Suhas Shetty — a key accused in the 2022 Fazil murder case — has triggered political tension across the region. Multiple BJP leaders have criticised the Congress government, accusing it of fostering an unsafe environment and undermining the work of Hindu organisations. With protests and bandh calls emerging in the aftermath of the murder, the administration has imposed prohibitory orders and increased police presence across Mangaluru.