The brutal murder of a Bharatiya Janata Party youth worker two days ago has forced Basavaraj Bommai to contemplate the implementation of the ‘Yogi (Adityanath) model’ of Uttar Pradesh in his state, one that exercises an iron whip on anti-social elements to maintain law and order, the Karnataka chief minister said on Thursday.
“For the situation in UP, Yogi is the correct chief minister. There are many ways to control Karnataka and we are experimenting with all of them. If required, we can bring the Yogi Model government in Karnataka as well,” Bommai said in Bengaluru.
The statements have come just two days after 32-year-old Praveen Nettur was hacked to death by bike-borne assailants in Dakshina Kannada’s Bellare, about 350 km from Bengaluru.
Bommai echoed the sentiments of several BJP workers and legislators who have been demanding strict action, such as bulldozing the houses of people who create social unrest and stir communal tensions.
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The Karnataka government under Bommai, which completed one year in office on Thursday, went on backfoot after the murder which drew severe backlash from its own youth brigade after they raised voices against the ruling BJP alleging no security for its own people.
Several members and office bearers of BJP Yuva Morcha on Wednesday resigned in protest.
HT had reported in April that BJP legislators including MP Renukacharya mooted the idea of using bulldozers to demolish houses of people who indulge in anti-social activities.
The ‘bulldozer model’ of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been heavily criticised by opposition parties and activists for allegedly being a tool to target minorities, especially Muslims.
BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said he agrees with how party workers feel about a change in leadership, and that he has held discussions with them over it.
Ravi said that though a worker was killed, it was only the BJP who can give justice to Hindutva and the same cannot be expected from the Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) or the Samajwadi Party.
“Whoever did this…we have to find out who killed (our worker), the people and organisations behind it first. The question of whether we should burn them alive or encounter them (police action to kill criminals) will arise only after that. If needed, we can do a ‘surgical strike’. There is a Modi model and a Yogi model, and both are from our party itself. Both models were given by the BJP. They are not from Congress, JD(S) or Samajwadi [Party]. Whatever needs to be done, we only have to do it,” Ravi said, adding that en masse resignations will only benefit anti-nationals and anti-Hindutva elements.
