Ballari in Karnataka witnessed intense violence after clashes broke out between Gali Janardhan Reddy and Bharath Reddy’s political groups in the Havambhavi area, resulting in the death of one person and leaving several others injured. What began as a disagreement over banner installation soon spiralled into a citywide law and order crisis.
The trouble started ahead of the scheduled unveiling of a Maharshi Valmiki statue on the 3rd of this month. As part of the preparations, banners were being erected across Ballari. During this process, supporters of local Congress MLA Narayan Bharat Reddy attempted to put up a banner near the residence of Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy, who lives in Ballari city.
This move was objected to by Janardhan Reddy’s supporters, leading to heated arguments that quickly turned violent. At the time of the initial confrontation, Janardhan Reddy was not at home as he was on a constituency tour. However, the dispute did not remain confined to one location. News of the clash spread rapidly, drawing supporters from both camps from different parts of the city.
Soon, Ballari witnessed stone pelting and street-level clashes. Police personnel who rushed to control the situation were also targeted with stones. To disperse the crowds and restore order, the police resorted to a lathi charge and fired warning shots into the air.
After being informed about the developments, Janardhan Reddy returned to Ballari. His vehicle was allegedly surrounded by supporters of Bharat Reddy. This again led to fresh stone pelting between the two groups. During this phase, supporters linked to Bharat Reddy reportedly fired four rounds. In the firing, a Congress worker named Rajasekhar was killed. The fatal incident occurred right in front of Janardhan Reddy’s residence, pushing the situation completely out of control.
Later, Janardhan Reddy addressed the media and made serious allegations. He claimed that while he was away, Bharat Reddy’s supporters had blocked access to his house by placing chairs on the road. He further alleged that private gunmen belonging to a Bharat Reddy supporter named Satish Reddy fired four to five rounds at him after his return. Calling it an attempt on his life, Janardhan Reddy displayed an empty cartridge and directly accused Bharat Reddy of trying to kill him.
Narayan Bharat Reddy strongly rejected these allegations. He stated that Janardhan Reddy was making false and baseless claims to cover up his own lapses and mislead the public. He denied any involvement in the firing.
In the aftermath of the violence, authorities deployed additional police forces across Ballari to prevent further unrest. Newly appointed Superintendent of Police Pawan Nezhur, who took charge only a day earlier, remained at the scene and personally supervised the security arrangements. While calm has been restored for now, Ballari continues to remain under heavy police watch.
