Miscreants have burned down two luxury vehicles belonging to 3-time BJP MLA Satish Reddy, parked inside the compound of his residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka in the wee hours on Thursday.

The incident has created tension in the city as the incident is allegedly linked to the unveiling of the Shiva statue at a lake in his constituency.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated from Mangaluru that, Satish Reddy is an important party leader. “I am pained by the incident. CCTV footage is being collected and I am hopeful that police would crack the case soon,” he underlined.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra who visited the spot said that three teams have been formed to investigate the matter.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant visited Satish Reddy’s residence at 4 a.m. and monitored the investigation.

Miscreants are suspected to have gained entry from the backdoor. They have set luxury cars on fire after pouring petrol on luxury vehicles. The police say that the place where these cars parked was not covered by CCTV cameras.

Sources in the police department stated that Satish Reddy got 9 activists of a Hindu organisation released after they were taken into custody.

The activists had allegedly unveiled the statue of Shiva against the Karnataka High Court order on Wednesday. It is suspected by the police that the incident might have taken place in this backdrop.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is constructing an island with a Shiva statue in the Begur lake. The High Court has issued a stay on the construction in August 2019 after a petition against it was filed.

The affidavit was filed by Leo Saldhana, Coordinator for Environment Support Group (ESG). The matter of unveiling the statue has been brought to the notice of the court and the court has sought action taken report by the Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant by August 17.

The whole issue has taken a communal turn and Hindutva forces are alleging that the opposition is coming from Christian missionaries.

The police are treading cautiously with the issue and beefed up security near the residence of Satish Reddy and Shiva statue in Begur lake.