BJP lawmakers march against attack on MLA's house, petitions Vala for law and order

Protesting the attack on a party MLA's residence allegedly by JDS workers, the BJP Thursday took out a Raj Bhavan march and petitioned Governor Vajubhai Vala against "the deteriorating" law and order situation in the state. The party also staged demonstrations at various places across the state protesting the incident Wednesday when stones were pelted at the residence of MLA Preetam Gowda in Hassan after his name was dragged into the audio clip over BJP's alleged bid to topple the JDS-Congress government.

The JDS workers had accused Gowda, who represents Hassan, of conspiring to of trying to topple the Congress-JD(S) government. A BJP worker sustained serious head injuries in the incident and had been admitted to a hospital where his condition was stated to be stable, police had said Wednesday.

Condemning the attack, BJP MLAs led by state party president B S Yeddyurappa took out a march to the Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to the Governor alleging that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated. Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa said he informed Vala about the attack on Gowda's house, the alleged abuse of the MLA's parents the "murderous assault" on a BJP worker.

"Despite such a serious issue, the accused have been booked under the bailable sections," he said He also said the party would bring to the notice of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the "deteriorating law and order" in the state. The attack on Gowda's house came shortly after the JDS released the complete 80-minute audio recording containing a purported conversation between, Yeddyurappa, JD(S) MLA Naganagouda, BJP MLAs Shivanagouda Nayak and Preetam Gowda about their alleged bid to destabilise the eight-month-old coalition government.

Preetam Gowda had also allegedly spoken ill of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda. The MLA has, however, denied that he was part of the conversation. BJP staged protest demonstrations in Hassan, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Shivamogga among other places with the party workers shouting slogans against the JD(S) for its "hooliganism". In Bengaluru, the BJP Yuva Morcha members also took part in the protest.