Veteran Congress leader Muniyappa scotches rumours on joining BJP
Bengaluru, Aug 26: Amid speculation on him joining the BJP following his meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Health Minister K Sudhakar, Congress Working Committee member K H Muniyappa on Friday said there is no question of him leaving the party.
The former Union Minister, upset with the decision of the State Congress leaders to admit a couple of local leaders in Kolar into the party without his knowledge, expressed pain over Ghulam Nabi Azad's decision to quit the party. He said, "He (Azad) was not treated well."
"There is no question of leaving the Congress. I'm active in the party and will continue to remain so...no one has invited me to join other parties, I will remain in the Congress," Muniyappa said in response to a question on speculation that he would join other parties like the BJP.
Speaking to reporters here, he clarified that he met the Chief Minister with a petition seeking funds and land for the development of "Adi Jambava mutt", along with the seer of the mutt and community leaders.
As the land is required in Chikkaballapura district, he said he met Minister K Sudhakar, who hails from the district, and added that "I have got a positive response...no other discussions have taken place."
Calling Ghulam Nabi Azad, a senior leader who had served and built the party for 50 years from Youth Congress days till now, Muniyappa, in response to a question, said, "He (Azad) is a great person, who worked for the party coming to power in the States; he was given responsibility. I'm pained as he was not treated well, he has taken this decision. This should not have happened."
Muniyappa, a veteran leader, who has been a member of Lok Sabha for seven times, expressed displeasure at State Congress president D K Shivakumar and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah for keeping him away while deciding on admitting local leaders M C Sudhakar and Kothanur Manjunath into the party.
He is also said to be upset at few of his own partymen for causing his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and particularly angry at former Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who is Srinivaspura MLA in Kolar district, for the the way in which Congress affairs has been managed in the district, which has for long been a Congress stronghold.
Muniyappa had openly hit out at Ramesh Kumar on several instances.
Noting that Shivakumar, along with a few other senior leaders, had recently met him and held discussions, Muniyappa said he would remain active in the party and had even participated during the protest against ED's questioning of Congress's national president Sonia Gandhi, and also during Independence Day march.
Asked whether he was still upset against leaders following the induction of M C Sudhakar and Kothanur Manjunath without informing him (Muniyappa), he said the leadership in the State would have taken certain decisions aimed at strengthening the party, and that the high command is aware of his displeasure, and that would decide.
"In the interest of the party, I will have to bear these things. The high command is aware of it and AICC general secretary in-charge of the State Randeep Singh Surjewala has spoken to me, and that I will wait for their decision in coming days," he added.
Muniyappa's daughter Roopakala Shashidhar is a Congress MLA from KGF (Kolar Gold Fields) constituency in Kolar district.
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Two arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting woman at knifepoint in Kochi
Kochi (PTI): Two persons have been arrested after a three-member gang allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint near Ernakulam Junction Railway station, officials said on Friday.
The arrested accused were identified as Danish (26), a native of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district, and Rahul (39), a native of Paravoor in Kollam district.
Police officials said they were searching for the prime accused, Sanjay, a native of Aroor in Alappuzha district.
According to police, the incident occurred on the night of May 5 when the victim was chatting with her friend near a closed hotel near Ernakulam Junction Railway station.
Officials said the accused approached them, attacked the victim’s friend and then allegedly threatened the woman with a knife before sexually assaulting her.
Police said the accused also allegedly disrobed the victim during the attack.
However, the woman managed to escape from the spot and approached a nearby shop for help.
Police were informed immediately and shifted the victim to the police station.
Officials said the accused were heavily drunk at the time of the incident and went into hiding soon after the attack.
Police registered a case on May 6 under charges including rape, disrobing a woman, criminal intimidation and robbery.
The two accused were later arrested in the city, while efforts are continuing to trace Sanjay, police said.
The accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
