Bengaluru: Byrathi aide adds to Congress blushes!

BENGALURU: A day after the arrest of Congress MLA Haris's son and his henchmen who in a fit of rage beat a Bengaluru man to pulp, the ruling party faced fresh embarrassment as a video of another Congress neta threatening a government official went viral.

The video - taken on Feb 16 - shows a furious Mr Narayana Swamy, K R Puram Block Congress president and a close aide of MLA Byrathi Basavaraj shouting expletives, while throwing petrol all over the office of Assistant Revenue Office, Mr Changal Rayappa at the BBMP offices at Horamavu and threatening to set the officer on fire unless he transferred a 'khata' certificate to his name.

Mr Changal Rayappa told Deccan Chronicle " In the 29 years I have worked for different BBMP zones, I've not faced such a situation in my life."

Chief Minister Sidda ramaiah is said to have moved swiftly, calling on his close aide MLA Byrathi Basavaraj with whom Mr Narayana Swamy is said to be close, and  giving him an earful. KPCC President Mr G Parameshwar immediately suspended Mr. Narayan Swamy from the party for six years.

It’s raining embarrassment for the ruling Congress in the state. On a day when Congress leader, Narayanaswamy,  a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah, threatened to set fire to a BBMP ARO office, a video of another  Congress leader attacking a BJP worker  in Kempapura Dasarahalli on February 18 went viral on social media.

The Congress leader, Muniraju, said to be a close associate of Byatarayanapura MLA, Krishna Byregowda, is allegedly seen in the video kicking and slapping BJP worker Kantharaju . But Mr Muniraju himself later  lodged a complaint saying he was abused by the BJP worker, who referred to him by his caste. Although Mr Kantharaju also tried o lodge a complaint, the police have not registered it as yet.

It’s believed that  differences between the two men over widening of the main road in their area led to the trouble. Both Mr Muniraju and Mr Kanthapuraj live opposite  each other and the road passes by their homes. Mr Kantharaju claimed  they had been at loggerheads over the expansion of the road for a few years.

He said he had shared a piece of his land, measuring 6.5 guntas for developing a thoroughfare here after  the BBMP took over the village. “The BBMP asphalted the road near me ,  but left it as a mud road outside  Muniraju’s house.  In the meanwhile, Muniraju tried to construct a bridge over a UGD line using his political clout, which I opposed. I  approached the  Corporation Commissioner and he  had the work stopped.  Mr Krishna Byre Gowda, who visited the spot,  backed  Muniraju and while I was discussing something with corporation engineer Pushpalatha, the Congress leader started shouting at me, and then kicked and punched me," In his police complaint Mr Kantharaju claimed Mr Muniraju had the blessings of Mr Byre Gowda and later asserted,  “I will not withdraw my petition.”  Mr Krishna Byre Gowda could not be reached for his comments.