Is it a crime to be in the RSS? Why did they kill my son: Sharath Madiwala's father

RSS worker Sharath Madiwala was hacked to death in Bantwal near Mangaluru His death triggered a tension in the region with many stone pelting incidents reported Sharath's father claimed that he was a simple RSS worker who never fought with anyone

"I'm grateful to God for blessing me with a son like Sharath Madiwala. Even if I wanted, perhaps, I wouldn't have had a son like him. But, when he was wreathing in pain in the hospital, I could not do anything to save my son. Yet, he is fortunate to die this way," is how Sharath Madiwala's father Thaniyappa Madiwala reacted to his death. Sharath Madiwala (28), a RSS member, died on Saturday after a vicious attack on him at Bantwal near Mangaluru on Friday, reports Kannada Prabha.

After the final rites in Sharath's hometown in Sajipamunnur village in Bantwal taluk, Thaniyappa Madiwala told Kannada Prabha that "My son was cordial with everyone, irrespective of their caste or community. He has been in RSS since young. Be it Muslims, Christians, Bunts, Jains or Konkanas, everyone had a good word about my son. Still he was killed."

"Was it his crime to be in the RSS," asked Thaniyappa fighting back tears. Thaniyappa too has been in the RSS since he was a teenager.

"I don't know why my son was killed. What purpose do I have to live after losing my son, now. If they want kill me also, I am ready to sacrifice my life. Nandavar village, with a Muslim majority, is quite near to my village. We live very cordially here. My son would go there and do yoga with them early in the morning. Till now, none of them had any problem with him. Religion never became a barrier for them. Yet, he was hacked to death,"  Thaniyappa told Kannada Prabha.

Thaniyappa remembered Sharath as an obedient son who always made his parents proud about his work. "His life was simple. He never spoke ill of anyone nor anyone had anything to say bad about him. More than 10,000 came to pay their respects on his last journey. This speaks about his good conduct," cried Thaniyappa.

Sharath leaves behind aged parents and two sisters. He was the sole bread winner for the family. He had a small laundry shop in his village. He was attacked by unidentified miscreants on Tuesday while he was about to close the shop. He was brutally attacked on the head and neck. Although he was rushed to the hospital and was put on treatment, he died on Friday night. His death escalated the communal tension in Bantwal. However, the police have brought the situation under control.