After Halappa, Bache Gowda Causes Embarrassment to Yeddyurappa
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, August 16: After the scandalous episode of erstwhile Food and Civil Supplies Minister Hartalu Halappa, who was forced to resign following the alleged rape of friend’s wife in their own house in Shimoga where he got himself invited for dinner, it is now the turn of Labour Minister B N Bache Gowda to cause further embarrassment to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
The Chief Minister tendered an apology to the the victims for alleged high-handed behaviour of Bache Gowda, which was reported in a section of the media.
A case of misdemeanour was registered agaisnt Labour Minister B N Bache Gowda, who had beaten up a businessman and his family at Maragondanahalli near Nelamangala, for overtaking his car on National Highway 48 (NH 48) around 6.30 pm on Independence Day, Sunday evening, on the way back to Bangalore after attending a function for hoisting the national tricolor at Hassan.
Bache Gowda as the district in-charge minister of Hassan had gone there to participate in the Independence Day flag-hoisting function and was returning to Bangalore.
The chief minister, who is already facing anxious moments and is forced to defend the Bellary Reddy Brothers over charges of illegal mining to avoid another bout of dissidence, was forced to tender an apology for Bache Gowda’s unruly behaviour.
Meanwhile, Congress opposition leader in the Karnataka assembly Siddaramaiah, who had gone to Delhi along with his legislative council counterpart Motamma, KPCC president R V Deshpande and working president D K Shivakumar as also several state Congress leaders to meet President Pratibha Patil to demand denial assent to the controversial Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act 1964, has condemned Bache Gowda’s behaviour terming it as ``totally unbecoming of a minister.”
Siddaramaiah has urged the Chief Minister to drop Bache Gowda from the cabinet if the latter refuses to gracefully resign on his own.
Real estate businessman Bharat, who was driving in a Tata Safari along with his aged father Lokappa Gowda, wife and two children, had overtaken the Minister’s car near the Cadbury’s chocolate factory unmindful of the official car with red beacon light.
Angered by the affront by an ordinary citizen, the Minister’s car driver immediately drove past the Tata Safari and got down along with the official gunman accompanying Bache Gowda and took Bharat to task for not bothering to make way giving respect to the Minister. ``Are you such a big man to overtake an official car of the minister,” they asked and assaulted the real estate businessman.
When Bharat, who was slapped and beaten up causing bleeding injuries and even loss of a tooth, reportedly asked the Minister’s driver and gunman to lodge a police complaint if overtaking a minister’s car was an offence, Bache Gowda, who was sitting in his car until then, got livid with anger and abused Bharat with foul language unmindful of the pleas from the wife and children. Even the aged father’s pleas to let the matter go by without harming his son fell on deaf ears.
The Minister called the Nelamangala police Inspector and directed the police to register a case against Bharat. As per the Indian Motor Act, the police collected fine of Rs. 300 from Bharat, who was taken to the Nelamangala police station along with his family.
The Chief Minister, who spoke to reporters, said he would speak to his cabinet colleague Bache Gowda and collect information on the issue.
The case registered against Bharat would also be withdrawn, he said cautioning his Cabinet Ministers not to repeat such incidents in the future.
The Chief Minister also said he would also speak to Bharat and obtain details from him about entire incident.