Bengaluru: Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has now come under the eye of the storm of the opposition for first giving an unsubstantiated claim on the murder of a young man, and then retracting his statement.

Informing about the murder of a young man named Chandru, a resident of Cottonpet, Araga Jnandendra, the Home Minister had first said that some miscreants killed him as he was asked whether he could speak Urdu, but when he said that he can’t speak Urdu, the miscreants killed him.

This statement created a flutter in the political circles and wondered how come a person could be stabbed to death merely because he fails to speak Urdu.

But hours after giving a statement, the Minister had to retract claiming that whatever the information he gave initially is false. In his defence, he said that since it was just initial information he received, he shared it with the media.

However, his statement drew flack from opposition parties, mainly the Congress accused the Minister of trying to disturb communal harmony by issuing false statements.

He said that he had said the murder was due to a language issue, but it is was incorrect. “ The man died of stabbing following a bike collision incident,” Jnanendra said. BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi backed the home minister and demanded a thorough probe into the matter.

KPCC President DK Shivakumar who was in Mysuru demanded that the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner register a case and arrest Jnandera for instigating communal tensions between two religions. Former CM and opposition leader Siddaramaiah too was quick to respond stating that the home minister of the state is unfit to continue in the post.

JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy who was also critical of the Minister said that the statement was aimed at disturbing communal harmony. “The ruling BJP is trying to play politics even in a murder case,” he said.

However, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters in New Delhi denied having any information about the incident. Congress filed a complaint against Jnanendra and CT Ravi in Malleshwara police station.