Bengaluru, Jan 7 (AHN) The Karnataka BJP has demanded the immediate suspension of officials who allegedly stripped and assaulted a BJP woman worker in Hubballi. A video purportedly related to the incident has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage and controversy on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to media persons at the BJP state headquarters “Jagannath Bhavan” in Bengaluru, State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said a shocking incident had taken place in Hubballi, where a BJP woman worker belonging to the Dalit community was allegedly stripped and assaulted.

“If law and order still exists in the state and if the Home Minister has any authority, he must immediately suspend the concerned officials,” Vijayendra demanded.

He said action must be taken against all officials who, acting at the behest of Congress leaders, allegedly assaulted and stripped the Dalit woman, who is also a BJP worker. Vijayendra described the incident as one that has brought shame to the entire state.

Referring to the background of the incident, Vijayendra said that during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter mapping process, when Block Level Officers (BLOs) go for verification, one Booth Level Agent (BLA-2) is permitted to accompany them. In such a situation, he alleged that Congress corporator Sunanda assaulted BJP workers and later filed FIRs against them.

Without properly understanding the background of the case, police officials allegedly acted on the statements of Congress leaders, entered the homes of BJP workers, and arrested them. The BJP strongly condemns such actions, he said.

Vijayendra further pointed out that the victim, Sujatha, is a Dalit woman and alleged that police stations in Karnataka have been turned into offices of the Congress party.

He accused the police of functioning like agents of the Congress party. As a result, he claimed, while Sujatha and her family members were being taken into custody, the woman was allegedly stripped and assaulted. The BJP strongly condemns this act, he added.

Responding to a question on the rising number of similar incidents, including attacks on legislators, Vijayendra said the Congress government is behaving arrogantly because it has a strength of 140 MLAs in the Assembly. He said incidents in Ballari, Hubballi and Bidar indicate that the Congress party’s “sins have piled up” and that people are cursing the government. He warned that the public would respond at the appropriate time.

Vijayendra said the Home Minister appears helpless and it is unclear whether he is even aware of these developments. The people of the state are calling him incompetent, he claimed.

He urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who often speak about Dr B.R. Ambedkar, not to politicise the issue and instead ensure justice to the Dalit woman. Regardless of political affiliation, a woman is a woman, and in this case, she is also a Dalit woman, he stressed.

He demanded that the Chief Minister immediately take action against what he described as “irresponsible” officials. Vijayendra further criticised Siddaramaiah for shedding “crocodile tears” over Dalits and boasting about breaking the record of former Chief Minister Devaraj Urs. He said the Chief Minister must understand the seriousness of the situation that has developed in the state.

It may be recalled that an alleged assault and stripping of a BJP woman worker by police occurred in Hubballi city in Karnataka, reportedly in connection with a dispute arising from a voter revision exercise. A video of the incident surfaced on Wednesday, triggering shock and serious concern.

The video allegedly shows male police personnel assaulting the woman and using vulgar expletives.

The incident occurred within the limits of the Keshvapur police station in Hubballi. According to sources, BJP worker Sujatha Handi, also known as Vijayalaxmi Handi, was allegedly brutalised following a complaint lodged against her by Hubballi-Dharwad Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla.

It is alleged that Sujatha Handi was targeted after she undertook voter mapping as part of the voter list revision process. Reportedly angered by this, the Congress corporator allegedly lodged a complaint against her at the Keshvapur police station.

However, the Karnataka Police on Wednesday rejected the female BJP worker’s claims that she was assaulted and stripped by police personnel during a dispute related to the voter revision exercise in Hubballi.

Responding to the allegations, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar said the woman “had stripped herself,” rejecting the charge that police personnel assaulted or stripped her.

Meanwhile, the State Women’s Commission, reacting to the development, said that the roles of both the complainant and the police must be examined before any comments are made on the case.