Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao strongly criticized the BJP on Wednesday, accusing the party of using recent murders in Dakshina Kannada for political mileage. He asserted that the Congress government is committed to impartial justice, stating, “There’s no question of caste or religion when it comes to murderers. Action will be taken irrespective of the accused’s background.”

Rao confirmed that the assailants involved in the killing of Abdul Raheem near Bantwal on Tuesday have been identified, and the police are pursuing legal steps. Additional security measures and prohibitory orders have been enforced in the district until May 30 to prevent escalation.

He cited the arrests made in connection with the killings of Mohammed Ashraf and rowdy sheeter Suhas Shetty, expressing confidence that Abdul Raheem’s killers will also be brought to justice. The government, he said, is launching a Communal Crime Control Force to prevent retaliatory attacks in coastal Karnataka.

An FIR has been lodged against 15 individuals in Abdul Raheem’s case, including Deepak and Sumit, under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The victim was brutally attacked by a mob while unloading sand.

Meanwhile, tensions rose after VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell was arrested for calling a bandh following Shetty’s murder. Though released on bail, his arrest drew sharp backlash from the BJP, which accused the Congress of appeasement politics and targeting Hindu leaders.

Protests have erupted from both communities as Mangaluru remains on edge.