Friday, January 02, 2026

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Ballari violence: K'taka CM says bullet fired into air accidentally hit Cong worker; probe on

IANS | January 02, 2026 04:04 PM

BENGALURU: Commenting on the death of a Congress party worker during a violent clash between the groups of Congress MLA Nara Bharat Reddy and BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy in Karnataka's Ballari city, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that a bullet fired into the air had accidentally hit the man.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday, Siddaramaiah said, “There was a conflict over a banner issue. Shots were fired into the air. One of the bullets fired in the air hit Rajashekar, leading to his death. It has to be ascertained from which revolver the bullet was fired. Hence, I have ordered an investigation and sought a report in this regard.”

According to sources, CM Siddaramaiah expressed his displeasure over the turn of events and refused to speak to MLA Bharat Reddy when other leaders attempted to connect him over the phone. The Chief Minister reportedly said he would not speak to him. He later spoke to former Minister B. Nagendra and asked Kampli MLA Ganesh to visit the spot.

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