Mangalore: 'Missing' speaker Bopaiah turns up at airport!
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jan 25: Speaker K G Bopaiah, who was alleged to have gone 'missing' after 13 BJP rebel MLAs made a vain attempt to resign from the assembly on Wednesday Janaury 23, was spotted at Mangalore International Airport here on Friday January 25.
Bopaiah arrived at the airport on Friday evening and was greeted by a swarm of media persons who were waiting for him.
However, media persons were disappointed as Bopaiah walked straight to his waiting car, escorted by two persons, and refused to answer questions put by the reporters.
Bopaiah reached Mangalore airport around 7.30 pm from Mumbai. "The Innova car in which he travelled was a tourist vehicle and he did not have any security guards. As he did not have police escort, we do not know where he travelled," said police sources.
About 15 minutes prior to Bopaiah's arrival at the airport, a senior state police officer arrived by flight from Bangalore. To welcome him, a senior official from the city had been to the airport. Surprised by the crowd of media persons at the airport, he asked them who they were waiting for. When the reporters told him about Bopaiah's expected arrival, he said that he had no information about it.
After the officer left, the Mumbai flight arrived and Bopaiah was the last passenger to come out of the airport.
Even the district administration had no information about the speaker's arrival. However, the media were informed by some sources and thus left for the airport. But they had to face disappointment as Bopaiah pushed them aside and walked straight to his car and sped away.
As there was no information about his arrival and as it was not an official visit, the police did not give any security.
It was difficult for people to identify Bopaiah as he had been wearing sweater. It was earlier speculated that he had been to Nepal. There is possibility that he went to Mumbai from Nepal and then arrived at Bajpe airport.
As per the information received, a JD(S) leader of Dakshina Kannada was also travelling in the same flight with Bopaiah. When the leader spoke to Bopaiah, he did not receive any answer from him.
The JD(S) leader said that Bopaiah was sitting in a VIP seat and travelling alone. During his entire journey, he did not find Bopaiah talking to anyone and once he reached Bajpe airport, but when he emerged from the airport, he was accompanied by two people who were also wearing sweaters. It is said that the two persons were not seen during the flight.
There is no information as to where Bopaiah left from the airport, but sources said that he may have left for his native Madikeri.
As per an official statement issued by Bopaiah through his office on Thursday January 24, he was away attending a private function and will be back on duty on January 28.
Chaos and confusion has gripped Karnataka politics over the last two days, with loyalists of former CM and chief of KJP B S Yeddyurappa's loyalists going on for mass resignation. While Shobha Karandlaje and C M Udasi submitted their resignations from the cabinet on January 23, a similar attempt by 13 MLAs was stalled due to speaker Bopaiah's absence. Some MLAs like Nehru Olekar even expressed fears that he might have been kidnapped, while Yeddyurappa took the matter to the governor who in turn asked for the speaker's tour details. It was also reported that Bopaiah had been packed off to Nepal to prevent the MLAs from resigning. In the midst of all this, the speaker himself issued a clarification that he was not 'missing' but was away for a private function, and would be back on duty on January 28.