The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a protest at Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, condemning the alleged egg attack on BJP MLA B.P. Harish during a political confrontation near the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office a day earlier. Senior BJP leaders, including state president B.Y. Vijayendra, Assembly Opposition Leader R. Ashoka, Legislative Council Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, along with MLAs, MLCs and party workers, participated in the demonstration, accusing the Congress government of failing to protect elected representatives.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when BJP workers organised a counter-protest near the KPCC office over the ongoing NEET paper leak controversy. According to the BJP, MLA B.P. Harish was allegedly pelted with eggs and confronted by Congress workers after reaching the protest site. The party claimed the attack was pre-planned and demanded immediate action against those responsible.
Addressing the protest, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy described the Congress-led government as a "rowdy government" and alleged that attacking a sitting MLA set a dangerous precedent. R. Ashoka also accused the police of failing to protect BJP leaders, claiming the incident took place while some party members were in police custody.
The Congress, however, rejected the allegations. KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad maintained that Congress workers were only protecting the party headquarters and alleged that BJP workers had first provoked the situation. He denied claims that Congress supporters deliberately targeted BJP leaders and accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from the NEET controversy.
Police intervened to disperse the rival groups and detained several protesters to prevent further clashes. The incident has intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress in Karnataka, with both parties blaming each other for the violence. Authorities are expected to examine CCTV footage and other evidence as part of the investigation.
