Even as leaders of Karnataka’s ruling BJP visited slain Bajrang Dal worker Harsha Hindu’s family members, Hindutva activists have insisted lower-rung cadres’ “sacrifices should not go in vain” and demanded a party ticket for the youth’s sister or mother from his home town of Shivamogga.
Multiple videos have surfaced online asking why party workers, and not children of BJP leaders, are left to die in political and communal violence. Many social media users who sought a seat for Harsha’s sister or mother have posted an old video of the late Mahendra Kumar where the former state chief of the Bajrang Dal raises the same question.
The Shivamogga constituency is now represented by minister KS Eshwarappa, one of the seven BJP MLAs elected from the district’s eight Assembly seats. The others include former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, H Halappa and Kumar Bangarappa (son of former chief minister S Bangarappa). And Yedyiurappa’s son BY Raghavendra is the MP from the region.
The party’s Shivamogga district president, TD Megharaj, told The Indian Express it was too early to comment on the demand for a party ticket. “We and the family are yet to come out of the grief of losing a staunch worker. The party will definitely consider the contribution of Harsha to the party, but a decision will be made by the high command.”