BJP’s Karnataka President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra expressed satisfaction with the NIA special court’s decision to sentence Mohammed Shariq, the main accused in the Mangaluru cooker blast case, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Vijayendra emphasized that this ruling underscores India’s strong stance against terrorism. He also called for apologies from Congress leaders who had supported the accused post-incident, criticizing their attempts to justify acts of terror by referring to the accused as “brother” and labeling the blast as an “accident.”
Vijayendra urged the concerned leaders to apologize to the people of the state if they feel any moral responsibility. He highlighted that the judgment in the Mangaluru cooker blast case signifies that elements threatening national security will not be tolerated. The BJP leader commended the effectiveness of central investigative agencies and the judiciary’s strict approach, aiming to boost public confidence in the system.
Furthermore, Vijayendra criticized leaders of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for allegedly engaging in appeasement politics by supporting anti-national elements during the initial stages of the case. He cautioned against such actions, labeling them as a danger to internal security, emphasizing the BJP’s firm stance that terrorism transcends religion and those involved in or supporting terrorism cannot be forgiven.
In a previous incident in December 2022, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar had sparked controversy by questioning the official classification of the Mangaluru cooker blast as a “terror act.” Shivakumar had accused the then-ruling BJP government of using the blast to divert attention from a voter data theft scandal in Bengaluru, questioning the police’s quick labeling of the suspect as a terrorist without a thorough investigation.
