Mandya, Jan 19 (IANS): The Congress in Karnataka has expelled an advocate attached to the party for appearing in a local court to argue for the bail plea of a top RSS functionary from the state, Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat.

D. Chandre Gowda was the President of the Legal Cell of the Congress party in Srirangapatna town. Gowda had appeared for Bhat before the Third Additional District and Session’s Court in Srirangapatna to argue for his bail in connection with a case on derogatory statements against Muslim women.

The court had granted bail for Bhat on January 17. Following the development, the local Congress leaders objected to Gowda's decision to appear before the court for Bhat. Following the backlash Mandya District Legal Cell Unit President A.S. Gowrishankar issued an order expelling Gowda.

Prabhakar Bhat, while delivering an address on the occasion of the Hanuman Sankeertana Yatra on December 24 had made a statement on Muslim women while referring to the ban on triple talaq.

The statement had stirred a controversy in the state and Muslim leaders had condemned him. Social activist Nazma Nazeer Chikkanerale had filed a police complaint against Bhat. The Srirangapatna police registered a case under IPC Sections 354, 294, 509, 153A, 295, 295A, 298. Bhat has approached the High Court to quash the proceedings.