Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who expressed shock over Kalburgi’s death, air-dashed to Dharward from Bengaluru in a chopper and paid last respects to the departed writer.
After paying tributes to the departed soul at Karnatak College on Sunday, he said his government’s priority is to nab those responsible for the murder.
Siddaramaiah said Kalburgi was a progressive thinker and quite straightforward in expressing his thoughts. Kalburgi’s contributions to literature and development of Kannada was commendable, he said.
“Of course, his opposition to superstition and age-old traditions might have received flak from some sections of society, but he never developed enmity with anybody. He had even asked the police not to provide him security cover,” he said. “We might have not lost him if he had accepted the security.”
On the probe, the CM said seers of several mutts have requested for a CID or CBI probe, but the government will decide on this after discussion with the police. He assured that the culprits would be brought to book soon.
Home Minister K J George, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil, Water Resources Minister M B Patil, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundurao, many MLAs and MLCs also paid their last respect to Kalburgi.
