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Committee members said chilli powder was thrown into the crowd, stones were pelted, and that petrol bombs made using bottles were allegedly stored in a house along the route.
Ballari: Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, right, pays last respects to party worker Rajashekhar killed in clash between his and BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy supporters over a banner dispute, in Ballari, Karnataka. (Image: PTI)
A Congress fact-finding committee, constituted to probe the Ballari shooting that led to the death of a young Congress worker, has found that three key factors triggered the violence.
First, the forcible removal of a Valmiki banner by protesters. Secondly, controversial statements made by former minister and BJP leader B Sriramulu questioning the need for the erection of “yet another” Valmiki statue. And thirdly, administrative failure by the police in the district to control the situation, which led to the clash spiralling out of control.
Senior Congress leaders who are part of the fact-finding team told News18, on condition of confidentiality, that the incident was “totally avoidable” and that timely administrative intervention could have even prevented the loss of a young life.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said earlier that the Congress party’s fact-finding committee had clearly established that the removal of the Valmiki banner was the immediate trigger for the violence.
He also said that the decision of local Congress leaders to erect a statue of Maharshi Valmiki was “the right decision”.
The ruling Congress on January 3, two days after the Ballari shooting incident, deputed the fact-finding committee to understand the timeline of events that led to the death of a young Congress worker during clashes between supporters of Nara Bharath Reddy and those aligned with G Janardhan Reddy and former minister Sriramulu in the Brucepete area of Ballari.
“A conflict over erecting a flex has led to the loss of a young, innocent life,” a member of the committee said. A young Congress worker, Rajashekhar Reddy, was killed when the private security of Bharath Reddy fired in the air.
A special police team has been formed to analyse video footage, and forensic examination confirmed that the 12-mm bullet recovered from Rajashekar Reddy’s body was fired from a single-barrel weapon which belonged to one of the private security gunmen.
According to the fact-finding committee, banners put up along Siruguppa Road near the Avvambhavi residence of Janardhan Reddy were being forcibly removed and that was the trigger for the first flashpoint. This led to a confrontation between supporters of Bharath Reddy and those backing Janardhan Reddy and former minister Sriramulu.
“There were two episodes of clashes within a span of about two hours,” a member of the fact-finding committee said while speaking to News18.
“The first clash broke out when supporters of Bharath Reddy and Janardhan Reddy confronted each other over the flex. The second occurred after Satish Reddy, a close aide of Bharath Reddy, was injured when stones were pelted into the crowd and violence broke out.”
The committee said it met several stakeholders, including eyewitnesses, local residents, Congress workers, police officials and district authorities.
Statements recorded from people present on the ground indicated that chilli powder was thrown into the crowd, stones were pelted, and that petrol bombs made using bottles were allegedly stored in a house along the route.
“What was told to us was that materials could have been stocked in advance, suggesting that the violence may have been pre-planned. Eyewitnesses told us they saw stones being pelted, which is how Satish Reddy was injured, and even police officials were hurt,” a committee member said.
Another member of the fact-finding committee told News18, on condition of anonymity, that Valmiki sentiment should not be misused for political purposes. “People should understand that Valmiki belongs to everyone. Politics is being played in the name of a great saint. The effort was to honour Valmiki and the community,” the member said.
The fact-finding committee also said there was a complete breakdown of administration, stating that more police personnel should have been deployed on the ground and that senior officials should have been present when the situation began to spiral out of control.
January 09, 2026, 4:42 PM IST
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