Has Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee bungled on notice to R Roshan Baig?

Bengaluru: Has the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC) bungled by issuing a disciplinary notice to former minister, R. Roshan Baig, who is on a pilgrimage to Mecca, over his absence during the crucial Mayoral polls on Friday?

As soon as the KPCC sent its show-cause notice to Mr Baig demanding an explanation from him over his absence at the Mayoral polls,  his supporters displayed his pictures from Mecca published in local Urdu newspapers.

Speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, one of his close aides claimed that some Congress leaders were conspiring against Mr Baig since the May Assembly elections.

The former minister, who is chairman of the Haj committee,  left for Mecca only after the last flight carrying Haj pilgrims returned last week as he was deeply involved with various NGOs in helping them over the last couple of months, he said. "His regular day would begin at around 10 am as he supervised the arrangements for the pilgrims at Haj Bhavan," the aide added.

Although Mr Zameer Ahmed Khan was the minister concerned, he  did not shoulder much responsibility and everything fell on Mr Baig, who decided to go  on his own pilgrimage only after the lasts of the pilgrims had returned, he maintained.

"Mr Baig was aware that his constituency would be automatically out of the race for the Mayoral polls as he had supported the election of outgoing Mayor Sampat Raj  the last time.  Moreover, as Shivajinagar did not have a woman candidate he could have supported,  he did not get involved in the selection process. This appears to have given the impression that he had cut himself off from party affairs," said his aides, arguing that when  the former minister had informed Congress Legislature Party leader, Siddaramaiah about his departure for Mecca, the KPCC did not have any ground to issue him a show cause notice.