Cong MLA hospitalized  after fight, BJP rubs it in

Team Udayavani, Jan 20, 2019, 8:02 AM IST

Bengaluru:

In an ugly turn in the ongoing power game in Karnataka, a Congress MLA was injured in an alleged brawl with a colleague lawmaker at a resort.

Anand Singh was hospitalised after he and J N Ganesh, both from Ballari district, had a heated argument and came to blows late last night at the resort where the party MLAs are herded together, Congress sources said on Sunday.

Singh has “a black eye and suffered blunt injuries,” according to sources at the private hospital where he is undergoing treatment. He had also complained of uneasiness in the chest but was now in the ward and “fine”, they added.

Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and on the BJP’s radar in its alleged toppling game.

Congress spokesperson and former Nizamabad MP Madhu Goud Yakshi said the scuffle was related to some business issue had nothing to do with politics.

“It was personal district related. They are all together in business. The scuffle has nothing to do with politics. They come from the same district and have business relations. It (the fight) is something related to that. It has nothing to do with politics,” he said.

The two MLAs had the dinner together in his presence and everything was cordial but after he left the fight broke out, Yakshi told.

Bidadi police under whose jurisdiction the Eagleton resort is located, said they have not received any complaint so far.

A posse of policemen have been deployed in front of the hospital with no visitor being allowed.

“We have not been allowed inside the hospital,” Raghunath, a Congress MLA, said.

In a dig at the Congress, BJP tweeted, “It’s unfortunate that @KPCCPresident was unable to stop the fight in Eagleton resort. We hope Anand Singh is being treated & we pray for his speedy recovery. Unfortunately @dineshgrao can’t even blame BJP now, MLA’s were locked up under his watch at Eagleton. Whats ur excuse now?” 

Senior minister D K Shivakumar however brushed aside reports that Singh had been assaulted and claimed all the Congress MLAs were united.

“Someone has misled. There was no fracas. There was no incident of smashing of bottle (on Singh’s head). It is all fake news. Everyone is together. The entire Congress is united,” he said.

State senior BJP leader and former Deputy chief minister R Ashok asked the Congress to produce Singh before the media and said police should initiate legal action in the case.

“Why is it that the Police have not taken any action in this incident?. I demand that the Congress should produce Singh before the media. I suspect that the Congress is making efforts to cover up the case,” he alleged.