Tumakuru: 23-year-old Neha Hiremath was allegedly stabbed to death by her former boyfriend, Fayaz Kondikoppa, on their college campus, Thursday, April 19, after she refused to marry him. Neha’s father Niranjan Hiremath is a Congress Corporator in Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation.
The duo became acquainted with each other as they studied in the same college.
Fayaz Kondikoppa, a resident of Savadatti in Belagavi District and a BCA student at the BVB College, was arrested by the police. The accused reportedly stabbed her multiple times, leading to her death on the college campus.
The incident has caused a stir in Karnataka as the victim belonged to the Lingayat community. Amid elections, the BJP seized the opportunity and stirred a row over the murder, alleging ‘love jihad’.
Love jihad is a conspiracy theory pushed by Hindu extremists, which alleges that Muslim men woo Hindu women, trap and convert them.
ABVP calls for bandh
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has declared a bandh in all colleges of Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation. Hindu Jagaran Vedike, Sri Rama Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have declared their support and called for a protest in Belagavi city.
The police department is on high alert and security has been beefed up all across the city.
Sources said that after the body of Neha Hiremath, who belongs to the Lingayat community, is handed over to the family, it will be taken in a procession for three kms before the final rites are performed in the Veerashaiva-Jangama burial ground.
Politics over murder
BJP leader and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mines and Coal, Pralhad Joshi in a statement on Friday, said that after Neha Hiremath refused to marry a Muslim youth he stabbed her nine times.
“These tragedies are taking place during the tenure of the Congress government because of appeasement and encouragement of anti-social elements. If the Congress does not initiate action, society will protest,” Joshi stated.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP, while taking to social media, questioned the Congress government and asked how many more Hindu lives it wants to sacrifice for the sake of appeasement politics.
“The objective of governance is autocracy. Law and order have disappeared. It has become the guiding principle of the Congress government. Mr CM Siddaramaiah, as a result of your appeasement politics, one Fayaz stabbed Neha Hiremath to death at the BVB College in Hubballi,” the BJP stated.
“You must answer for how many more Hindu lives you want to sacrifice for appeasement politics?” the BJP questioned.
Meanwhile, Minister Siddaramaiah has condoled the incident. “I condole the death of Neha Hiremath, daughter of Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation Member Niranjan Hiremath. The murder is condemnable. One accused has already been arrested in connection with the incident. I have directed the police chief to conduct a strict enquiry to ensure maximum punishment to the accused,” he stated.
Appealing for peace CM Siddaramaiah said, “No one should get worked up regarding the incident and take the law into their hands or disturb the peace. It is our duty to give justice to the girl. The police department will put all efforts in this regard.
Home minister rules out love jihad, says ‘no politics involved’
Karnataka Home Minister, Dr G Parameshwara, on Friday, stated that the murder of the daughter of a Congress Corporator on a college campus was not a case of love jihad.
“Incidents like this happen accidentally. The boy killed the girl in a fit of rage that she would marry someone. Legal action would be initiated against the accused,” Dr G Parameshwara maintained.
Speaking to reporters, the Home Minister stated that Neha and accused Fayaz were in love. Later, Neha had tried to distance herself from him and had rejected his marriage proposal. Enraged by this, the accused had killed Neha.
He said there was no politics involved and during the incident, Neha’s mother was also there and she was also attacked, but was rescued.
“There is no evidence available to prove that it is a case of love jihad,” the Home Minister clarified.
Neha’s father Niranjan Hiremath is a Congress Corporator in Hubballi-Dharwad City Corporation.
Commenting about youths being attacked for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans, Parameshwara stated, “It is an unfortunate incident. No one will be protected if they go against the law. It is natural to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans. To counter that, another group had raised different slogans. There is no question of protecting or appeasing anyone. Without mercy, legal action would be initiated.”
Refuting the allegations that weaker sections had been registered against the people who attacked Hindu youths for raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans, he stated that the sections would be registered as per evidence.
Parameshwara maintained that during the rule of the BJP government also incidents like this had taken place.
