May tighten gun laws after Ballari clashes: DKS

Rajashekhar Reddy, a Congress worker, was killed on January 1 during clashes between Congress and BJP supporters outside the residence of Gangavathi BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy. Both police personnel and private gunmen were reported to have opened fire during the confrontation.

“In view of the incident, private guns have been confiscated in Ballari and we will frame new regulations for gun ownership,” deputy chief Minister D K Shivakumar told reporters, indicating a policy response aimed at preventing similar incidents.

The incident has triggered sharp accusations from the opposition. Union minister for heavy industries and steel HD Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress-led government was trying to shield those responsible for the killing.

Addressing a press conference at the JD(S) state office in Bengaluru on Monday, Kumaraswamy claimed: “The murder of Congress party worker Rajashekar is one issue, but what is shameful is the desperate attempt by the Congress led government to cover up the killing of its own worker.” He alleged that the victim’s body had been subjected to postmortem examination twice. “As part of this, the victim’s body was subjected to postmortem twice,” he said.

“As per the information available with me, Rajashekar’s body was subjected to postmortem twice,” Kumaraswamy said. “Why was a second post mortem conducted? Who pressured the authorities to carry it out? Who ordered it? Was it because the first postmortem report was unfavourable that a second examination was ordered?” he asked.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the first postmortem had indicated the presence of small metal fragments in the body and claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to falsely implicate BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy. He said the second postmortem had instead exposed what he described as an attempt by the government to suppress facts.

Calling the investigation meaningless, Kumaraswamy pointed to what he said were contradictory public statements by senior leaders. He alleged that the chief minister had stated that the firing occurred in the air, while the deputy chief minister had expressed support for Ballari city MLA Nara Bharat Reddy. Kumaraswamy also alleged that the chief minister admitted that firing took place from the gunman of Bharat Reddy’s aide Satish Reddy, yet no arrest had followed. He also questioned why disciplinary action had been taken only against the Ballari Superintendent of Police.