Shah to visit Bengaluru on Wednesday night

According to the tour programme, Shah would arrive in the city on Wednesday night from Delhi and attend the CII event on Thursday at 11 am. He would fly back to Delhi at 2.30 pm.

During his visit, he is likely to hold a meeting with the state BJP leaders, informed sources told PTI.

Shah’s trip to the city comes amid the unrest among a section of the BJP cadres who are upset with the spate of murders of Hindutva activists and the tension prevailing in the coastal Karnataka, which is a Hindutva stronghold.

A week ago, Praveen Nettar, a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activist, was hacked to death by unidentified assailants in Dakshina Kannada district. The police have arrested two persons in this connection. However, the investigation is still in progress.

A few months ago, during the peak of the hijab row in the state, another Hindutva activist Harsha was also hacked to death in Shivamogga.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students’ wing of the Sangh Parivar staged demonstrations in certain parts of the state including Bengaluru demanding ban on the Popular Front of India and its allied organisations.

Angry Hindutva hardliners ran a social media campaign against the growing influence of PFI in the state and the country.

Shah’s visit is coinciding with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s trip to the state. PTI