Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has directly attributed the recent violent clashes in Ballari to the presence of BJP MLA G Janardhan Reddy, asserting that the district remained peaceful until the former mining baron entered the area, escalating tensions over a banner dispute linked to the unveiling of a Maharshi Valmiki statue.
Addressing media at the Chief Minister's home office on January 3, 2026, Shivakumar defended the Congress government's initiative to install the Valmiki statue for the first time in Ballari, entrusted to local Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, and questioned the necessity of Reddy's involvement, emphasizing that erecting promotional banners was a standard practice with no provocation until interference occurred.
The Deputy Chief Minister announced the formation of a party committee led by senior leader HM Revanna to thoroughly examine the incident, while pledging unwavering support for MLA Bharath Reddy and assuring that an impartial investigation would identify and punish all culprits, regardless of affiliation, amid reports of firing and the death of a Congress worker named Rajashekhar.
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Shivakumar dismissed Janardhan Reddy's claims of a conspiracy to assassinate him as theatrical exaggeration, highlighting Reddy's extensive security arrangements and suggesting that such allegations stem from inability to accept electoral defeats in the district, as the BJP leader has demanded Z-category security from both the state and central governments.
In measures to restore order, private firearms have been confiscated in Ballari, with new regulations on gun ownership under consideration, while Shivakumar distanced himself from reported inflammatory statements by the Congress MLA, stating no tolerance for threats and prioritizing peace over political considerations in the historically volatile region.
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