Shivamogga Murder: 'Let My Other Hindu Brothers Not Meet This Fate', Says Sister Of Deceased Youth To State Home Minister

Prohibitory orders have been reimposed in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka following the murder of a 26-year-old Bajrang dal activist Harsha, popularly known as ‘Harsha Hindu’.

Section 144 has been imposed in the entire district after unidentified assailants brutally stabbed Harsha to death at Seegehatti in Shivamogga. “Is there no humanity left that they don’t just kill but also make a video of him dying? “ asked his sister of Home minister Araga Jnanendra who was visiting the family.

“I know you can't, nor can I ask for my brother back. But the other Hindu boys are my brothers too and let none of them meet this fate,” reiterated his sister, as Jnanendra assured them of either a life sentence or capital punishment to the killers of Harsha.

“We have no information about any organisation but a group of four-five youth who have indulged in this act. Schools and colleges have been shut down,” added Jnanendra, in his home district.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai too condemned the murder and ordered investigation while asking for peace to be maintained. Countless people especially waving the saffron flag marched with the body of the deceased as it was taken from the McGann hospital to his house.

The assailants, said to be five of them, had arrived in a car and stabbed Harsha in the trunk on Sunday night and escaped in an autorickshaw. Harsha breathed his last while being taken to the hospital.

Former CM B S Yediyurappa, also belonging to the region, condemned the murder and said only when those who indulge in such acts are punished strongly will there be an end to such deaths in the state.

Meanwhile law and order in the city also was disturbed as miscreants set a few vehicles on fire, destroyed cars and pelted stones even as Harsha's remains were being taken to his residence.

While the government denied hijab angle to the murder, former Shivamogga in-charge and Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K S Eshwarappa has alleged that “Muslim goons” were provoked by KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar‘s statements in the media.

Rapid action force personnel have been deputed and a special team formed to investigate the murder.

Social media meanwhile highlighted how a Facebook page by the name of Mangalore Muslims had issued a fatwa against Harsha in 2015 wherein they had called him a terrorist who made ’obscene statements and abused Prophet Mohammad and Allah‘ and posted ‘obscenely edited pictures‘.

A crowd funding campaign has also been started to raise funds for Harsha, who leaves behind a father, who works as a tailor, and a homemaker mother and two sisters who have been married.

Local leaders have been cited saying that this is no one off incident but Harsha joins the list of many other Hindu activists who have paid with heir lives. ”This is a Police failure. Shivamogga lives in this situation. Our Shakti kendra head in Shirakoppa Shivananda had to face petrol bomb attack on his house but by god’s grace he was saved. Shivamurthi, Govinda Reddy, Govinda Raj, Vishwanath we have lost…On February 20 seven years ago we lost Vishwanath, and on the same day this has happened now. What does it imply?“ asked ruling party leader of Shivamogga city municipal corporation Channabasappa, speaking to media persons.