Mangaluru: The family members and relatives of Deepak Rao, who was hacked to death, took Mangaluru North MLA Mohiuddin Bava to task when he visited their house with a cheque of Rs 5 lakh on Friday.

The generous dose of rebuke left the MLA speechless and in tears.

The family did not accept the cheque. Bava has now decided to donate three water coolers, each costing Rs 1.75 lakh, to a temple, a mosque and a church with the money.

As promised earlier, Bava paid a visit to Deepak house’s on Friday. However, as he extended the cheque to Deepak’s mother Premalatha, she refused to accept it and the neighbours slammed him. Bava told that the BJP had brainwashed Premalatha not to accept the cheque from him as he is a Muslim.

“The BJP and saffron outfits have brainwashed her not to accept money from me because I’m a Muslim,” he said. “The family has accepted Rs 10 lakh given by the government,” he said.

“I will use the money to donate three water coolers – one to the Ganeshpura temple, another to a mosque in Katipalla and the third to church in Katipalla – with his photo. Let people drink water and bless him for years to come. I wish they had accepted the money,” a grieving Bava said.