Shivakumar said the Karnataka government was capable of protecting the state’s interests and carrying out its responsibilities. He also indicated that he did not wish to turn the dispute into a prolonged political exchange.
The controversy concerns the deaths of three Tamil men — Anthony Samy, John Rose Peter and Kumar — during an encounter with Karnataka Forest Department personnel in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar on 15 August.
Vijay had described the incident as a “massacre” and rejected Karnataka’s account that the three men were killed during an exchange of fire in an anti-poaching operation. He called the state government’s explanation unacceptable.
The Karnataka government told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that forest personnel had fired in self-defence after the alleged poachers shot at them.
Opposition parties in Karnataka have called for an impartial investigation into the deaths, while the state government has defended the actions of the forest officials.
With IANS inputs
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