Senior BJP leader R. Ashoka criticized the Congress leadership following the conviction of Mohammed Shariq in the Mangaluru cooker blast case. Shariq was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ashoka accused the Congress of prioritizing vote bank politics over national security concerns.
Ashoka condemned the Congress leaders for allegedly supporting anti-national elements for electoral gains. He specifically targeted Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing him of justifying traitors for political advantage. Ashoka highlighted the NIA court’s verdict that found Shariq guilty, emphasizing the Congress’s approach to sensitive security issues.
The BJP leader accused the Congress of practicing appeasement politics and urged the party to refrain from justifying extremists for political convenience. Ashoka called for a change in the Congress’s stance on such critical matters, emphasizing the need for a more responsible approach.
In a previous incident, Shivakumar had disputed the characterization of the Mangaluru cooker blast as a terrorist act. He had criticized the BJP government for allegedly using the blast to divert attention from a voter data theft scandal in Bengaluru. Shivakumar had questioned the police’s swift labeling of the suspect as a terrorist without a thorough investigation.
