Mangaluru : Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U.T. Khader said here on Sunday that B.S. Yeddyurappa, president of the State unit of the BJP, should apologise for unnecessarily politicising the murder of Karthik Raj near Konaje last October.

Addressing presspersons, the Minister alleged that Mr. Yeddyurappa had tried to give a communal colour to the murder after meeting the family of the deceased, who was the son of a former president of Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat from the BJP. With the arrest of three persons, including the sister of the deceased and her two friends, by the city police on Saturday now the truth is out, he said.

Mr. Khader alleged that the former Chief Minister had attempted to divide society.

The Minister said that attempts had also been made by some groups to unnecessarily drag his (Mr. Khader’s) name in the case. “No one should divide the society. Instead one should build the society,” Mr. Khader said.

The Minister wondered why local police could not crack the case for nearly six months after the murder when a special investigation team was able to do it within a fortnight.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner should conduct an inquiry into it as it is said that a police inspector was a close relative of the deceased.

There might be an attempt to mislead the case, Mr. Khader alleged.