'We will go to war to protect Hindutva from jihadists': Bajrang Dal leader

The Bajrang Dal leader’s statements comes just days after violence and protests rocked Uttara Kannada district

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The tension around the death of 18-year-old Paresh Mesta in Honnavara is not dying down, with Sharan Pumpwell, convenor of Bajrang Dal for south Karnataka, saying that the Bajrang Dal is ‘ready to to go to war against Islamic jihadists to protect Hindu dharma’.

The Bajrang Dal leader’s statements comes just days after violence and protests rocked Uttara Kannada district after the body of Paresh Mesta, a 18-year-old boy was found in Honnavara.

“If Muslims do jihad we will go to war to protect the culture and dharma of the nation. In this country, Muslims are killing Hindus. The incident in Uttara Kannada was not the first, there were other incidents like the deaths of Prashant Poojary, Rudresh in Bengaluru, Magali Ravi in Mysuru,” said Sharan Pumpwell.

He also claimed that the Popular Front of India (PFI) was directly involved in several cases. “There is the involvement of Popular Front of India (PFI) in these cases, They are doing jihad and killing Hindus,” added the Bajrang Dal leader.

The popular Bajrang Dal leader rose through the ranks of the organisation since joining in 2005. He was appointed the convener of the outfit's Mangaluru division in 2011 and was promoted to convener of Bajrang Dal for South Karnataka in 2016. Pumpwell and his group has gained a notorious reputation for their involvement in incidents of moral policing. He was named by the police along with 24 Bajrang Dal members in connection with an attack on a birthday party at a resort in 2011.

Pumpwell was speaking at a protest staged by members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal on Wednesday condemning the death of Paresh. Mesta’s death. The investigation into the death has been termed a ‘murder’ by the Hindu groups has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the state government.

Uttara Kannada was gripped by violence for two days as members belonging to the BJP and its affiliate parties protested the killing of Mesta, who they claim was a BJP activist. On Tuesday, thousands of protesters including BJP workers gathered at Sirsi, bringing the town to a standstill in spite of the police enforcing prohibitory orders in the district.

The victim’s father Kamalakar, speaking to the press on Wednesday clarified that Paresh was not a BJP activist but raised further doubts that his religion was the reason for his death.

Meanwhile, forensic experts at Kasturba Hospital in Manipal have rejected initial claims by leaders of pro-Hindu groups that the teenager was tortured before his death. In a detailed letter to the police, forensic experts who conducted the post-mortem in Manipal said that,”There are no evidences of injuries caused by weapons over the body of the deceased.”

However, the clarification has done little to appease BJP leaders who pressurised the government to launch a probe into Paresh’s death.

The investigation has since been recommended to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).