Gunshots And Fisticuffs: The Controversies Aroud BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra Runs In Karnataka

In a bid to have its recently inducted Ministers meet people and share the achievements of the central government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conducted a Jan Ashirwad Yatra from 16 August to 19 August.

This Yatra was to see all the 39 Ministers travel across 265 districts and 212 Lok Sabha constituencies, covering a total distance of 19,567 km, as reported.

Karnataka’s four newly inducted Ministers of State too toured the state with MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar kickstarting it starting from Hubballi, Shobha Karandlaje from Mandya, Bhagwant Khuba from Bidar, and N Narayanaswamy from Nelamangala.

But since commencement, these yatras have hit the headlines more for wrong reasons than right ones. While Congress left no stone unturned in criticising the BJP for conducting such rallies in the times of the pandemic, especially with the likelihood of a third wave, internal disputes too led to friction at some events with workers throwing caution to air.

The latest is the suspension of PSI Suresh and three constables from Yadagiri rural police station over the firing of shots to welcome Khuba at the Yatra, as reported by Suvarna News at noon today (19 August). Four youth who had fired the shots had earlier been arrested. Country-made rifles were used to fire shots in the air by followers of different leaders who had gathered to welcome the Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy.

Former minister Baburao Chinchansur was himself reported as sporting a gun during the rally. While Khuba himself is said to have denied the fire shots and said the noise was from the loud crackers, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has sought details about the same.

Khuba’s Yatra had also made headlines as its Raichuru stint saw the procession go beyond the night curfew timing with some of the party cadres even bursting firecrackers, as reported by Public TV.

At an event in Mandya addressed by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, party workers clashed among themselves, over the absence of BJP leader Chandagaalu Shivanna, whose supporters shouted slogans against the party district president Vijay Kumar and got into a fight with his supporters only to be ousted from the venue.

At her rally in Hassan, supporters of the former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah are reported to have shouted slogans hailing their leader in all the four villages she visited.

Meanwhile, state Congress tweeted asking why the BJP, which has corona rules for all festivities, gatherings and market places, has none for these large processions, which it called the “Corona Ashirvad Yatre”.