Lok Sabha member and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday, 16 July alleged that law and order in Haveri district has deteriorated sharply under the state's Congress government, claiming that criminals no longer fear the police or the legal system. Bommai made the allegations at a press conference ahead of a large Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protest rally held in Haveri.

Key Allegations at the Rally

Addressing reporters, Bommai — who represents the Haveri-Gadag Lok Sabha constituency — said repeated representations to the district administration and senior police officials over rising crime had yielded no response. BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra and several other senior party leaders were present at the rally.

'Crimes that were unheard of in Haveri district in the past are now occurring one after another. The law and order situation has completely collapsed,' Bommai alleged.

Specific Incidents Cited

Bommai pointed to a murder that he said occurred in broad daylight at around noon on a public road in Shiggaon. He also referred to the Hangal gang-rape case, alleging that the accused, after securing bail, held a public procession 'as though they had returned after winning a major battle' — conduct he said reflected an absence of fear of the law.

He further alleged that police arrested Bajrang Dal and Hindu activists who had staged what he described as a peaceful protest in Ranebennur demanding the closure of illegal slaughterhouses. Bommai also cited a recent murder in Pyatihal village and claimed incidents he characterised as 'love jihad' and related killings were rising in the district. These characterisations are Bommai's own and have not been independently verified.

'Despite such serious incidents, the government and police department have remained mute spectators,' he said.

Allegations of Police Corruption and Political Pressure

Bommai accused local police of corruption and alleged they were functioning under political pressure. 'Police officers are misusing the powers vested in them and are succumbing to pressure from political leaders. Various forms of protests will continue until people receive justice and police excesses are curbed,' he said. The state government has not yet responded publicly to these specific allegations.

Irrigation and Farmer Concerns

The former Chief Minister also trained his sights on the state government's handling of irrigation, alleging that the Irrigation Department had remained 'inactive' for three years despite Karnataka operating over 350 lift irrigation schemes. He claimed that adequate rainfall in the Western Ghats and water in rivers including the Varada, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, and Krishna had not been effectively utilised due to administrative inefficiency.

'Even existing projects are not being maintained properly. Power bills have not been paid, leading to the suspension of several schemes, and even basic desilting of canals has not been undertaken,' he alleged.

Crop Insurance and Medical College

On delays in distributing crop insurance verification certificates to farmers, Bommai said he had already written to the concerned authorities and intended to raise the matter with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a visit to New Delhi on Friday. He also said he would personally inspect the Haveri Medical College building following reports of leakage issues at the facility.

With the BJP signalling that demonstrations will continue, the political pressure on the Congress-led state administration over Haveri's law-and-order situation is set to intensify in the days ahead.