Union Minister Pralhad Joshi accused the Congress of turning Ballari into a 'republic' of MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, alleging misuse of police to protect party leaders involved in violence. Joshi demanded the arrest of Bharath Reddy, stating a Congress worker died from a bullet fired by the MLA's personal security guard. He questioned the police's inaction during the clash and called for a thorough investigation into the incident, which he attributed to a banner dispute.