Ballari violence: Karnataka pushed towards Goonda Raj, says MoS Somanna

Union Minister of State for Railways & Jal Shakti V Somanna on Sunday accused the Congress regime of pushing Karnataka towards a “goonda raj” citing the way it handled violent incidents in Ballari on January 1 during the preparations for the unveiling of a Valmiki statue.

“I strongly condemn this arbitrary action, the breakdown of governance, and the targeted attacks on our party leaders and workers,” the MoS said, speaking to the media in Ballari. One person was killed after clashes erupted over installation of a banner for the unveiling of Valmiki statue. The police have booked Gangavathi MLA G Janardhana Reddy.

Somanna called the government’s response to the clashes as the one that reeked of “politics of vendetta, cruelty, and hate.”


The attempted assault on MLA Janardhan Reddy, is a disturbing reminder of the Congress government’s divisive and hate driven politics; the tragic loss of an innocent life in this incident is deeply distressing and is a tragic example of the complete collapse of law and order in the State, he said. Somanna represents Tumakuru in the Lok Sabha.

Rather than accepting responsibility, the Congress government is resorting to misguided and desperate measures to mask its failures and shield its own MLAs, the Union Minister said, referring to the role of Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy.

The government suspended Ballari superintendent of police Pavan Nejjuru just hours after he took charge and made him a scapegoat in the whole incident to cover up its own failures, Somanna said.