Bengaluru, Mar 1 (IANS): Karnataka BJP on Friday said that the incidents of murders and extortion in Kalaburagi district of the state have increased after Minister for RDPR, IT, and BT Priyank Kharge took over as the District in-charge Minister of Kalaburagi.

“Priyank Kharge is a troll minister. During his tenure, incidents of murders and extortion have increased. After he took over as the District in-charge Minister of Kalaburagi, BJP workers and leaders have been hacked to death one after the other,” the Karnataka BJP said.

BJP said that Priyank Kharge has handed over the Kalaburagi to nefarious elements. “He is directly responsible for the current situation in Kalaburagi,” the BJP said.

The BJP demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah must sack Priyank Kharge who is allegedly responsible for the derailing of the law and order situation in Kalaburagi district.

BJP leader Girish Chakra -- the right-hand man of BJP MP Umesh Jadhav from Kalaburagi -- was killed after being invited to a felicitation party by friends at a farm late on Thursday. The incident came to light on Friday in Saganura village near Afzalpur taluk.

The assailants threw chili powder into Chakra's eyes before hacking him to death. The Gangapura Police have registered the case and also initiated a hunt for the accused.

Umesh Jadhav had recently appointed Girish Chakra as the Director of the BSNL Advisory Committee.

Jadhav said that there is no law and order in Kalaburagi.

“There is a fearful environment in the district. Girish was like a son to me. He had worked tirelessly for the party for 10 years. The killers must be arrested immediately,” Jadhav said.

Kalaburagi is considered to be the fortress of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's family. The BJP dealt a blow to Mallikarjun Kharge by defeating him in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where Umesh Jadhav from the BJP won with a handsome margin.