A local BJP office-bearer, who was also a swayamsevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was reportedly stabbed to death in broad daylight in Bengaluru — formerly Bangalore — on Sunday. The police have registered a case in this regard and are investigating the incident.

A spokesperson of the Karnataka unit of the BJP told International Business Times, India, that the 35-year-old man, identified as Rudresh, was general secretary of the Shivaji Nagar unit of the party, as well as an RSS swayamsevak.

On Sunday, he had taken part in a special march, which the local unit of the RSS had organised at 16 places across Bengaluru to showcase the organisation's new uniform. Rudresh was returning from the march when he was stabbed from behind around 12:30 pm near the Hanuman Temple on Kamaraja Road in the city.

The local BJP spokesperson said: "Rudresh was taking to his friend Jayaram when two people riding a black Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle came to a halt behind him. The one in front had worn a helmet while the person riding pillion wore a monkey cap. They stabbed Rudresh in the back." However, he refused to speculate on the motive behind the attack.

A case in this regard has been registered with the Commercial Street police station, and the police are further investigating the matter, an official from the police station told IBTimes India.

It may be recalled that a BJP worker was recently hacked to death in Kannur in the neighbouring state of Kerala, following a similar murder of a CPM local leader there.

Following the murder of its activists, the BJP had called a strike in the state that had received massive response. Kerala witnessed total shutdowm for 12 hours, even as the BJP had called for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case.

Sunday's murder in Bengaluru also gave rise to speculations whether political violence from Kerala had spilled over into Karnataka.