A 23-year-old Bajrang Dal activist identified as Harsha has been murdered for opposing the wearing of hijabs in schools and colleges in Karnataka's Shivamogga, triggering fresh tension over the escalating hijab row. 

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday condemned the merciless stabbing of the youth and alleged that this is an outcome of the "poison" that fanatics are spreading in the Muslim community.

Reacting to the killing on Sunday, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain alleged that the 'tukde-tukde' gang under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi works to spread such poison in the name of Muslim appeasement, and demanded that action be taken against such elements to put a curb on their activities.

He also appealed to the Muslim community to change their leaders and show them their place if they do not want to "go in the direction shown by Jinnah before 1947".

A total of three persons have been arrested, said state home minister Araga Jnanendra. Police said that technical evidence is being gathered and that they have alerted teams in a few other districts, which are helping in tracing the culprits.

"We will take a call on how to take this forward. It is too early right now," Jnanendra said, on demands of NIA probe in the murder case coming from many, including Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje.

The miscreants, who came in a car, had chased him and attacked him with lethal weapons and then escaped from the spot. Though Harsha was shifted to the McGann hospital, he succumbed to injuries.

After the murder, thousands of Hindu activists gathered near the McGann hospital and the police had tough time to handle the situation. Incidents of stone pelting reported from Sigehatti area in the district, DIP (East) Tyagarajan and Superintendent of Police (SP) Lakshmi Prasad rushed to the spot to control the situation.

Assam Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Himata Biswa Sarma said that the Popular Front of India (PFI) should be banned. Speaking to the media, Sarma alleged that the organization was involved in subversive activities. Also, in radicalizing people.

"Assam has been demanding a complete ban on PFI for a long time, and we still continue with our demand to the Central government that the PFI should be banned immediately. Not because of what they are doing in the case of hijab, that is a democratic protest, I don't have any issue. But they are directly involved in subversive activities...they are involved in radicalizing people," the Assam CM, and BJP leader said, adding that he is sure that at some point, the demand will be considered.

Image courtesy: PTI/Shailendra Bhojak