Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 20: MP Shobha Karandlaje had recently submitted a list of Rashtirya Swayamsevak Sangh and other HIndu leaders as well as BJP activists who she said were killed after Siddarmaiah took over as chief minister of Karnataka four years back. The fact that the list of 23 contains the name of a living person, another whose murder was planned by his sister, and one more, who had committed suicide, has resulted in lot of embarrassment for her. This fact has given rise to disputes and criticisms of the MP.

Shobha Karandlaje had attached a list of people she said belonged to various Hindu outfits and also BJP, who were targetted during the last four years of rule under Siddaramaiah, in her petition to union home minister, Rajnath Singh. She also had alleged that many Hindu activists came under brutal attack during this period, in her letter handed over to the minister two days back. She had stated that 23 activists of RSS and other Hindu organizations and BJP were killed during the recent past in Karnataka. The people have come in the open to criticize the MP for not taking care when preparing list, and including people who are alive, suicide victims, and a person who was killed by his own sister.

Shobha expressed regret at this lapse, duly adding that she has brought these discrepancies to the notice of the central government. Former deputy chief minister of Karnataka, R Ashoka, too confessed that there was mistake in the list and that explanation about the same had been given to the central government. He said that a fresh report would be soon submitted to the union government in place of the current one.

One of the names mentioned in the said list is that of Ashok Poojary from Moodbidri. Ashok was attacked by masked people on September 20, 2015. He had been admitted into hospital and has since recovered. So it was a murder attempt not murder in itself.

Vaman Poojary from Moodbidri is another name found in the said list. Vaman had committed suicide in a shed in the house of his daughter on October 15, 2015. He was not killed. Many have also objected to the inclusion of names of Ashok and Vaman in the list of Hindu activists.

The death of Kartik Raj within the limits of Konaje police station has been mentioned in the list prepared by Shobha. But police had found later that Kartik was killed by contract killers hired by his own sister because of family feud. Therefore, the MP was wrong in adding his name in this list, people have been pointing out.