Security for Girish Karnad beefed up, Prathap Simha seeks police cover

Bengaluru: After Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad and BJP MP Prathap Simha allegedly received death threats on social media police have increased security for Karnad, while the BJP MP has approached the Mysuru police for security.

Karnad is facing controversy over his remarks on Kempe Gowda, with several organisations particularly those connected with Vokkaliga community to which Kempe Gowda belonged, Kannada bodies, right-wing outfits and BJP, targeting him. Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Simha, who received a threat to his life in a Facebook post, has approached Mysuru police.

Both Karnad and Simha, faced the threats through online posts even as the toll in the violence at Madikeri in Kodugu over the row climbed to two. A tweet posted on the twitter handle, 'Intolerant Chandra' allegedly said that Karnad will meet with the same fate as Kalburgi if he enrages Kannadigas with such comments.

Karnad had come under attack for his remarks that the Bengaluru international airport should have been named after Tipu Sultan rather than the city's founder, Kempe Gowda.

A senior police official said they received information about a post making a threat against Karnad and are looking into the matter. Unfazed by the threats, Karnad said, “Tweets don't worry me.” He said that Kalburgi was murdered by contract killers and “such kinds of people don't tweet”. “It was a professional who killed Kalburgi, so tweets don't worry me. If people tweet, it is almost certain that they don't have guts,” he told a TV channel.

He said he does not take tweets seriously, but takes the government's responsibility seriously. “If the government feels your life is in danger, and if they want to provide security, I will cooperate...," he added.

Meanwhile, Simha that said he had seen a Facebook message after returning from Kodagu - where the violence took place. He complained about a post that he claimed had a photo of ‘martyr’ Kuttappa, the local VHP leader killed in the Madikeri violence, placed by one of his photos with the threat that he “will meet the same fate”.

“Immediately I alerted Mysuru police and gave a complaint to jurisdictional police station of my residence Vijayanagar; till now nothing has been done,” he said.

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