Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)
Mandya, Oct 10: Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka affairs, Digvijay Singh, severely reprimanded district in-charge minister, Ambareesh, for not following the instructions of party vice president, Rahul Gandhi. This gave rise to verbal friction between the Rebel Star and Diggy. It is learnt that some ministers hastened to put an end to angry verbal duel between the two leaders.
Made Gowda's family and the police waiting for Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to visit Kottatti village in the district on Friday to hand over a cheque for one lac rupees representing compensation amount sanctioned to Made Gowda's family there by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), besides spending some time with this agriculturist family and console the family members. Made Gowda, distressed by mounting debt, had ended his life sometime back.
At the last minute, Rahul had to cancel his scheduled visit to Kottatti. Therefore, immediately after the meeting of cabinet ministers with Rahul Gandhi concluded at V C Farm here, Rahul Gandhi called minister, Ambareesh, to inform that his visit to Kottatti had been cancelled. He therefore asked the minister to personally visit the village, console family members of the deceased farmer, and hand over the compensation cheque.
Ambareesh, who did not attach too much importance to this instruction, went to Sanabanakoppalu village near Pandavapura in the company of Rahul Gandhi. JD(S) MP, C S Puttaraju, had come there. It is said that Ambareesh handed over the said cheque to Puttaraju, duly requesting him to deliver the cheque to Made Gowda's family.
Digvijay, who got to know of this incident, grew wild and took on Ambareesh when the latter came back to V C Farm to take part in interaction programme with Rahul Gandhi there. It is said that he wanted to know whether Ambareesh was a minister belonging to the JD(S). "In spite of clear instructions from Rahul Gandhi, you handed over cheque representing compensation sanctioned by KPCC to a JD(S) MP. You failed to comply with the simple directions to sympathize with the farmer's family by visiting Kottatti, nor did you personally disburse the cheque to them. Will this not sully the reputation of the state government and Congress?" he reportedly questioned.
Ambareesh, who is known for not taking things lying down, tried to hit back, after which fireworks were witnessed between the two briefly. It is learnt that some ministers who were in the vicinity rushed to the two leaders and pacified them.