Karnataka BJP attacks Congress over Mangaluru blast verdict, alleges vote bank politics
Synopsis
The NIA court's conviction of Mangaluru cooker blast accused Mohammed Shariq has reignited a political firestorm in Karnataka, with BJP's R. Ashoka accusing Congress and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar of having dismissed the 2022 incident as 'diversion politics' — a charge now amplified by the guilty verdict.
Key Takeaways
Mohammed Shariq was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by a special NIA court in the Mangaluru cooker blast case.
Ashoka accused Congress of vote bank politics and appeasement on national security matters.
Ashoka targeted Deputy CM D.K.
Shivakumar , citing his December 2022 remarks questioning the terror label on the blast.
In December 2022 , Shivakumar had alleged the BJP government used the blast to divert attention from a voter data theft scandal.
The NIA court verdict has reignited the political debate over Congress's initial response to the incident.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress leadership in the wake of the conviction of Mangaluru cooker blast accused Mohammed Shariq, who was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court. Ashoka accused Congress leaders of indulging in vote bank politics even on matters of national security.
Ashoka's Charge Against Congress Leadership
The BJP leader alleged that it was unfortunate that leaders driven by political interests were aspiring to become chief minister while, according to him, defending anti-national elements for electoral gains. Targeting Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar directly, Ashoka charged,
Point of View
But the underlying debate is more layered. Shivakumar's 2022 remarks were made before the investigation concluded — questioning a terror label mid-probe is not inherently indefensible. What the BJP is doing is conflating procedural scepticism with sympathy for extremism, a framing that plays well in polarised electoral cycles. Karnataka heads into a politically charged period, and both parties are now using a court verdict to relitigate a two-year-old controversy rather than focus on what the NIA prosecution actually established.
NationPress
4 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mohammed Shariq and what was he convicted for?
Mohammed Shariq is the accused in the Mangaluru cooker blast case, in which an improvised explosive device went off inside an autorickshaw in Mangaluru. He was convicted by a special NIA court and sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment.
What did D.K. Shivakumar say about the Mangaluru cooker blast in 2022?
In December 2022, then-Opposition leader D.K. Shivakumar questioned the official labelling of the incident as a terror act, alleging the BJP government was using it to divert attention from a voter data theft scandal in Bengaluru. He also questioned how police could declare the suspect a terrorist before completing the investigation.
What is R. Ashoka's charge against Congress?
BJP leader R. Ashoka accused Congress of indulging in vote bank politics and appeasement, alleging that party leaders — particularly D.K. Shivakumar — had dismissed the Mangaluru blast as diversion politics and justified the accused for electoral gains. He said the NIA verdict had now exposed Congress's stance.
What is the significance of the NIA court verdict in this case?
The special NIA court's conviction of Mohammed Shariq and the 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence lends judicial weight to the classification of the Mangaluru incident as a terror-related act, which had been contested by Congress leaders in 2022.
Why has the Mangaluru cooker blast case resurfaced in Karnataka politics?
The NIA court's guilty verdict against Mohammed Shariq has revived the political controversy around Congress leaders' initial remarks in 2022, with the BJP using the conviction to accuse Congress of having defended an anti-national element for electoral benefit.
