The ‘Bengaluru Stroll’ occasion, chaired by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D Okay Shivakumar, was witness to dramatic occasions on Sunday, after BJP MLA Munirathna engaged in an altercation and later staged a protest on the venue for not being invited to this system regardless of being the native MLA.
Organised by the Larger Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and its affiliated companies, the occasion was held to deal with the grievances of the general public. Munirathna, who arrived on the venue after collaborating in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) occasion, initially sat among the many members of the group.
“MLA, come right here. Aye, the black cap MLA,” Shivakumar mentioned, calling Munirathna to the stage.
The MLA walked to the stage and requested Shivakumar handy him the microphone, even because the deputy CM requested him to take a seat on the stage. “I’m not invited to the occasion. But, as a citizen of the town, I’ve come to take a seat with you,” he mentioned and went again.
He was invited once more by the organisers to the stage, after which he returned and mentioned, “This can be a state authorities program. I’m comfortable that they’ve invited me (now). However there isn’t a MP or MLA on the venue. I don’t know whether or not this can be a grievance redressal program,” he mentioned.
Coaching his weapons on the chief commissioner of GBA, Maheshwar Rao, the MLA mentioned that he was not prolonged an official invitation. “Study to offer respect to MLAs first,” he mentioned, accusing the occasion of being a Congress occasion and never a program to deal with public grievances.
This brought about pandemonium on the occasion as Congress employees objected to Munirathna whilst he continued to degree allegations in opposition to the occasion. They demanded that the MLA stroll off the stage whereas the police scrambled to stop any untoward incidents. They began elevating slogans in opposition to him whereas the MLA sat on stage and refused to maneuver.
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He was ultimately escorted off the stage by the police and GBA officers, amid sloganeering by Congress employees in opposition to the MLA. He later advised reporters that he was insulted and assaulted on the venue. “I got here right here after attending the RSS occasion. They eliminated the RSS cap and assaulted me,” he alleged. He additionally staged a protest later.
Responding to the developments, Shivakumar mentioned that Munirathna was politicising the difficulty. “He’s bringing disrepute to RSS. What’s the connection between the RSS and this occasion?” he mentioned, including that it was an insult to the establishment.
“He may have spoken right here as an MLA. Residents of the constituency chased him away,” the minister mentioned. This was not a launch occasion, however quite a grievance redressal program. Anybody can attend, he mentioned, responding to allegations by the MLA that he was not invited.
The rivalry between the 2 has escalated over the previous few years. Munirathna, who was beforehand with the Congress, jumped ship to the BJP in 2019. Although the Congress went all weapons blazing to make sure the defeat of the MLA at RR Nagar constituency in 2023, Munirathna succeeded in retaining the seat. The defeat of Shivakumar’s brother D Okay Suresh within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls at Bangalore Rural constituency – which incorporates the RR Nagar phase – added to the battle between the 2.