Karnataka: Protesters jolt BJP MP’s car over Yuva Morcha worker’s murder

BJP Yuva Moracha worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death with lethal weapons by unidentified people on a bike in the district's Bellare village late Tuesday evening.

Tension prevailed at several places in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters took to the streets, with many resorting to stone-pelting, forcing police to lathicharge following the murder of a BJP Yuva Morcha member. Protesters were anguished over the murder of Praveen Nettaru, who was hacked to death in the Dakshina Kannada district.

Protesters were anguished over the murder of Praveen Nettaru, who was hacked to death in the Dakshin Kannada district.

A video shared by news agency ANI showed many protesters shouting slogans and surrounding three vehicles. The protesters were seen jolting a white car, which reportedly belonged to Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is also the MP of the Dakshina Kannada district.

The exact location of this protest is not yet known. Earlier in the day, workers of the BJP held protests in Bellare and Puttur over Nettaru's murder.

Nettaru was hacked to death with lethal weapons by unidentified people on a bike in the district's Bellare village late Tuesday evening.

Taking to Twitter, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed condolences to the family members of Nettaru and said the perpetrators will be arrested soon and punished under the law.

According to state home minister Araga Jnanendra, the perpetrators who murdered Nettaru could have come from Kerala and the police were in touch with their counterparts in Kerala regarding the case.

Meanwhile, Union minister Prahlad Joshi suggested a political link to the murder and said, "Initial reports and some media reports indicate at SDPI and PFI links. They are being encouraged in Kerala. In Karnataka, Congress encouraged them. Our government in Karnataka will take action and book the culprits."

On Wednesday, the body of Nettaru was brought to his residence in Sullia. Thousands of locals followed the ambulance that carried his body as people expressed their collective grief.