Minister U.T. Khader and Government Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza joined the bandwagon of those criticising Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje for showing a living person as dead in the list submitted to the Union government.

The Congress leaders addressed media conferences at the District Congress Office here charging Ms. Karandlaje with making “baseless” statements to sustain her political career. They sought her resignation.

Mr. Khader said that the MP only exhibited her ignorance by seeking a probe by National Investigation Agency into the series of murders. She had also given the wrong information to Union Home Minister showing a living person as dead in the list.

Stating that the government was not averse to an NIA probe, Mr. Khader pointed out that the RSS activist murder case in Bengaluru was handed over to the NIA so as the Mysuru blast case. The Centre cannot unilaterally decide about an NIA probe into particular cases, he said. The Minister wondered why the MP was not insisting that the murder of Ashraf, Harish Poojary, Praveen Poojary and Vinayak Baliga be handed over to the NIA. It is the responsibility of political parties to come together in maintaining peace and not to create further confusion, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. D’Souza demanded Ms. Karandlaje’s resignation and also an apology from her to general public for the “mistake”. He told reporters that the MP is attempting to polarise voters on communal lines.

He said that the MP represents all residents of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency and not just the Hindus. Mr. D’ Souza took exception to the provocative speeches by some BJP leaders and termed them as violation of prohibitory orders clamped in the district.

By listing a living person as dead, Ms. Karandlaje has exposed herself even as people in the district are hurt by her statement. Politicians should follow certain standards of ethics and it is her duty to tender an apology in the issue, Mr. D’ Souza said.