IT City’s new calling card: Murder

The broad daylight murder of corporator S Nataraj in Malleswaram on Saturday has triggered a strong response from his party — the Congress. Blaming the state government, BK Hariprasad, general secretary, All India Congress Committee, said law and order in the city has deteriorated. “Bangalore, which was known as the IT city and Science city, has now become murder city. Politicians opposing the BJP are living in fear,” he said.

Hariprasad, who paid tributes to Nataraj on Sunday, said that the murder should not be treated as an isolated case as such killings of political leaders by opposition parties has been on the rise.
Congress MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao, a close associate of Nataraj, said there is a threat to his life.

“It is a clear case of political killing as Nataraj had no enemies or business rivals. A close scrutiny of the killing, points to the fact that it was a pre-planned with political motives. It has become scary for people’s representatives to function freely. Now, I too have reason to feel that my life is under threat as Nataraj was very close to me,” said Rao.

Chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda said he would convene a meeting of the police top brass to review the law and order situation within two days and take measures to ensure people’s representatives are not attacked. “I have already created two divisions for dealing with crime in Bangalore. There is no question of compromising on providing security for citizens. Bangalore, Asia’s fastest growing city, needs a huge improvement in its security set-up and we will do whatever is needed,” he said.