In midnight drama, police drag NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad protesting detention of supporter
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad was dragged by the police in the wee hours of Friday during his protest against the detention of his supporter, who was assaulted by supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar during the scuffle in the building a day before.
Awhad, known for his vocal presence in the assembly, launched an aggressive sit-in protest near the rear gate of the Vidhan Bhavan premises around 2 am after police began taking away his supporter Nitin Deshmukh.
The MLA physically blocked the police vehicle, demanding Deshmukh’s release, alleging biased action by the law enforcement officials.
“This is nothing but blatant bias. My supporter, who was beaten, is being arrested while Padalkar’s five men who assaulted him are being protected by the police,” he said.
“After the Thursday scuffle, police detained supporters from both sides. The assembly speaker told me that once the daily proceedings of the House were over, he would instruct the police to release my supporters but it was not done. The supporters of Padalkar are being served vada pav and tobacco by the police,” Awhad alleged.
Deshmukh and Padalkar’s aide Rishikesh Takle were reportedly involved in the scuffle in Vidhan Bhavan building on Thursday.
As the situation escalated outside the legislature late at night, Awhad and his supporters attempted to prevent Deshmukh’s detention. Eyewitnesses said police used force to pull Awhad away from the police vehicle, dragging him from the road before deploying additional force to control the crowd.
Adding a twist to the night’s drama, the police allegedly tried to discreetly shift Deshmukh using another vehicle, but Awhad spotted the move and confronted the officers again. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar was also present at the scene after midnight.
A violent clash broke out between the supporters of Padalkar and Awhad in the Vidhan Bhavan lobby on Thursday.
Shocking videos of the two groups pummelling each other and having to be dragged back by security personnel are doing the rounds of social media.
The altercation started with a verbal spat outside the assembly building on Wednesday, during which both MLAs and their supporters exchanged expletives.
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If you have a conscience, apologize to the people: R Ashoka slams Yathindra over Nalwadi comparison
Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.
