A group of people allegedly attacked Vijay Kumar Sharma, a BJP worker, and ransacked his office on M.G. Road in Hassan on April 12. Mr. Sharma and his friend Pramod suffered injuries. They were taken to the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) hospital.
Mr. Sharma told mediapersons that a group of people allegedly barged into his office and assaulted him. Even as he appealed to them to sit and talk, they ransacked the office. He alleged that the attackers were supporters of the former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda.
Differences among various factions within the BJP are believed to be the reason for the attack.
Mr. Sharma, who has been with the BJP for several years, is in a faction opposed to Mr. Preetham Gowda.
Among BJP workers, Mr. Sharma was the first to campaign for JD(S) candidate Prajwal Revanna, even before the Hassan district unit of the BJP took a formal decision in this regard. Recently, he had openly criticised Mr. Preetham Gowda.
Hassan MLA Swaroop Prakash of the JD(S) and others visited the hospital and enquired about Mr. Sharma’s health. The MLA, speaking to mediapersons, urged the police to arrest the culprits immediately.
The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Mr. Prajwal Revanna, his mother, Bhavani Revanna, and other JD(S) leaders also visited Mr. Sharma in the hospital.
The Hassan Extension police have registered a case based on Mr. Sharma’s statement. The case has been registered on the charges of voluntarily causing harm, damaging properties, criminal intimidation, and unlawful assembly, among others. The complainant has not named the accused.
