BJP worker killed by VHP, Bajrang Dal cow vigilantes

Udupi (Karna), Aug 18 (PTI) In a brutal incident of cowvigilantism, a BJP worker was killed and another personinjured allegedly by VHP and Bajrang Dal activists who waylaidand attacked them near Hebri in this district last night. Praveen Poojary (28) and Akshay Devadiga (20) weresurrounded and attacked with sharp weapons by the VHP andBajrang Dal activists as they were transporting three cows ina vehicle, Udupi district Superintendent of Police K TBalakrishna told PTI. Poojary died instantly while Devadiga has been admitted toa hospital at Bramhavar, he said. Seventeen people were arrested and a hunt was on to nabthe others involved, he said. The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada havebeen reporting cases of cow vigilantism in the last severalyears. The incident comes days after the Union Home Ministry hadcracked the whip on cow vigilantism, asking all states not totolerate anyone taking law into their hands in the name ofprotecting cow and to take prompt action against suchoffenders. The Home Ministry advisory had come two days after PrimeMinister Narendra Modi attacked cow vigilantes and askedpeople to beware of these ‘fake’ protectors trying to dividethe society and the country. He made these comments after his government and BJP cameunder attack over incidents of violence against Dalits andMuslims by cow vigilantes in various states including UttarPradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara saidprima facie cattle trade-related business dispute may be thereason behind the killing of the BJP worker. "… Seventeen people have been arrested in connectionwith the incident, they (police) are suspecting some sort of acattle trade-related business dispute," he told reporters inBengaluru, adding police have taken up the case. Noting that he does not see a communal angle to theincident "at this point of time", Parameshwara said "somereason must be there, we will find out". He said "… We don’t know at this stage, but they aresuspecting some sort of a dispute because of the trade, it isnot definite, but they are suspecting. Investigation will giveus the final picture." Parameshwara also expressed concern over repeatedincidents relating to beef and cattle trade in Karnataka. "We are vigilant, we will definitely try and maintainpeace and order. I appeal to the people who are trying tocreate this kind of disturbance not to do this because we area tolerant society and we should not create these kind ofissues," he said. PTI COR KSU BDN RAZMN