Bache Gowda Expresses Regrets, to File Defamation Case against Reporter
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Aug 18: Three days after the Independence Day, when state’s labour minister B N Bache Gowda had allegedly abused and his personal secretary and gunman had reportedly assaulted a Bangalore-based real estate businessman for overtaking his official car near Nelamangala, there is a fresh and interesting twist to the entire episode.
Furious after reading the reports published in the front page of the leading Kannada daily, Vijaya Karnataka, as a banner headline on Monday morning, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa himself had apologized and declared that he would speak to the businessman Bharat Kumar and also the minister. The chief minister had also publicly promised that he would ask the minister to withdraw the complaint that he had lodged with the police.
With the incident receiving widespread publicity and media attention leading to condemnation from most of the opposition parties and also from several prominent citizens and writers, Bache Gowda had sought to justify his conduct by asserting that he had done nothing wrong to tender an apology. The minister, who was returning to Bangalore after participating in the official flag-hoisting ceremony in Hassan district by virtue of his position as district-in-charge minister, had gone to the extent of declaring that he would countenance any behaviour that sought to undermine his position and status as a minister.
Bache Gowda had even told reporters after learning about the chief minister’s tendering of the public apology that it was "totally unwarranted” and had even mentioned that Yeddyurappa should have heard his version first before going to the press on his apology.
It may be recalled that the Congress opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah and his legislative council counterpart Motamma as well as KPCC president R V Deshpande and working president D K Shivakumar and also former chief minister and state JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy were among the prominent leaders who condemned the minister’s arrogant behaviour. They had gone to the extent of demanding that he should be dismissed from the state cabinet for his conduct unbecoming of a minister, whose duty is to serve the people and not to lord over them.
Obviously rattled by the flak over the incident from the chief minister as well as from other ministerial colleagues and ruling BJP leaders and opposition leaders and in a bid to put an end to the controversy, Bache Gowda on Wednesday sought to change his tune and earlier stand. The minister, who spoke to reporters in his chambers in Vidhana Soudha, expressed his regrets about the entire assault controversy.
But, Bache Gowda announced his decision to file a defamation case against a reporter of the Kannada daily, Vijaya Karnataka, for publishing the report, which he claimed was "totally baseless and far from truth.”
The minister, his personal secretary and gunman had allegedly assaulted Bharat, a Bangalore-based businessman, when the latter overtook the minister’s car near Nelamangala on Sunday evening. Bache Gowda was returning to Bangalore after hoisting the national flag in Hassan on Sunday morning.
The real estate businessman Bharat, who resides in the upmarket Sadashivanagar area, was returning to the city in his Tata Safari vehicle along with his father-in-law, wife and two children when he reportedly overtook the minister’s car near Nelamangala, which infuriated the minister’s staff and even Bache Gowda himself, provoking them to abuse Bharat and even allegedly assault him. The minister had even lodged a complaint with the Nelamangala police, who had booked a case of misdemeanor and rash and negligent driving and levied a fine of Rs 300 as per reports published in almost all Kannada and English dailies.
Bharat, who hails from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district, is said to be a close relative of Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha MP and former state BJP president D V Sadananda Gowda.
Bache Gowda said the report published in the Kannada daily on Monday was "politically motivated and aimed at tarnishing his political image.”
"The entire report was entirely false and baseless,” he claimed and completely denied reports stating that he had assaulted Bharat and his family members on Sunday evening.
The minister called on the chief minister on Wednesday and explained to him the entire incident and personally apologised to the chief minister, who had tendered the apology on Monday last.
“I am pained that the chief minister had tendered the apology,” he said promising to brief the home minister Dr V S Acharya also.
The minister explained that his car driver stopped Bharat’s Tata Safari car near Nelamangala when the latter was “suspiciously chasing” his car. Bache Gowda said he telephoned the Nelamangala police and told them to file a FIR against Bharat for negligent driving.
"The matter could have ended there if Bharat had tendered his apology to him for "suspiciously chasing his car,” he said.
"Instead of apologising for negligent driving, Bharat challenged him about the manner in which the car was stopped on the national highway,” Bache Gowda said.
The police have filed the FIR and he has decided to fight the case in the court. He also decided to file the defamation case under the Indian Penal Code against the reporter of the Kannada daily seeking compensation for the damage done to him, the minister said.
On the demand for his resignation by leaders of Opposition parties, Bache Gowda said: "There is no question of resignation. The Opposition leaders should speak after collecting correct information on the issue.”
Issuing reactions based on media reports without verifying facts was not good and justified, he added.