Man who threw eggs on Siddaramaiah's car a Congress worker, claims BJP leader
Madikeri, Aug 20: A man who hurled eggs at Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, Siddaramaiah's car during his visit to Kodagu district to inspect rain-related damages, was a Congress worker, a BJP MLA claimed on Saturday.
Sampath was among a number BJP activists who were arrested for staging a protest against Siddaramaiah on August 18.
A video of the incident in which Sampath is purportedly seen throwing eggs on Siddaramaiah's car has gone viral. However, maintaining distance from Sampath, BJP legislator M P Appachu Ranjan claimed that Sampath was not a BJP activist but a Congress worker.
Responding to the MLA's claims, Sampath said he is indeed a Congress worker and was upset with his party leader Siddaramaiah's alleged remarks made in the past that the Kodavas eat beef.
"I threw eggs because of Siddaramaiah's statement, not because of the protest (organised by BJP). Because of his (Siddaramaiah's) derogatory comments that the people of Kodagu eat beef and statements in favour of Tipu Sultan," Sampath told reporters here.
Sampath said many people in Kodagu dislike Tipu Sultan, the 18th century Mysuru ruler. "I did not like his (Siddaramaiah's) statements. I am a Hindu first and then a Congress worker," he added.
"There are photos of Sampath holding the Congress flag, shawl and banner. If it is proved that he is our party member, then we will expel him...," Ranjan told reporters.
According to the BJP MLA, Sampath is in the construction industry and works as a bar bender, while adding that Sampath's father Sundaramurthy was in the BJP.
Sampath said he had come from Somawarpet to Madikeri, the district headquarter town of Kodagu, for some personal work. He went to have food near the place where he supposedly saw the Bharatiya Janata Party Youth Wing activists protesting against Siddaramaiah's visit.
During his visit to Kodagu to inspect the rain-related damage two days ago, Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah faced the ire of the BJP Youth Wing activists who blocked the road and raised slogans against him.
The BJP leaders vented their anger against Siddaramaiah's statement following violent clashes in Shivamogga on August 15 questioning the saffron party workers for putting up Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's poster in an area predominated by Muslims.
They were also opposing him for organising Tipu Jayanthi when he was the Chief Minister of the state. As CM, Siddaramaiah had started Tipu Jayanthi celebrations to pay tribute to the 18th century ruler of Mysuru.
Some Hindutva activists in Kodagu allege that Tipu Sultan had carried out large-scale conversion and killings of Kodavas, the native community of Kodagu district, during his rule.
During Tipu Jayanthi in November 2015, which the then Congress government had organised, widespread protests broke out in many parts of Karnataka, especially in Madikeri.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah and his loyalists are mulling over taking out a Madikeri Chalo', a march to Madikeri.
It is expected to be similar to the 'Ballari Chalo' movement taken out by Siddaramaiah in September 2010 against the rampant illegal mining of iron ore in the district.
ಮೊಟ್ಟೆ ಎಸೆದಿದ್ದು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತ ಎಂಬ ಕಾಗಕ್ಕ ಗುಬ್ಬಕ್ಕನ ಕತೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿರುವ @BJP4Karnataka ಉತ್ತರಿಸಬೇಕು.
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) August 20, 2022
ಅವರು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರೇ ಆಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ಶಾಸಕ ಅಪ್ಪಚ್ಚು ರಂಜನ್ ಠಾಣೆಯಿಂದ ಜಾಮೀನು ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಕರೆತಂದಿದ್ದೇಕೆ?
ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತನಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ಆತ ಅಪ್ಪಚ್ಚು ರಂಜನ್ಗೇಕೆ ಆಪ್ತನಾಗಿದ್ದಾನೆ. pic.twitter.com/t1FWjZFvDk
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Goa nightclub fire: Owners Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Phuket after tragedy, say police
Panaji (PTI): Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, the main accused and owners of the Goa nightclub where a massive blaze claimed 25 lives, fled to Phuket hours after the tragedy, Goa Police said on Monday.
"Goa Police have taken further steps to coordinate with the Interpol Division of the CBI to apprehend both Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra at the earliest," a senior police officer said.
A massive fire at the nightclub, some 25 kilometres away from Panaji, on late Saturday night killed 25 persons. The deceased comprised 20 employees of the nightclub and five tourists, including four from Delhi. Five injured people were undergoing treatment at the government-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
After registering an FIR against them, a Look Out Circular was issued against them by December 7 by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) at the request of the Goa Police.
The Bureau of Immigration at Mumbai was contacted, and it was found that both the accused had taken the 6E 1073 flight to Phuket at 5.30 am on December 7, immediately after the fire incident, which occurred around midnight, the officer said.
READ ALSO: Goa nightclub fire: Owner Saurabh Luthra expresses grief, assures management support
He said the Goa Police had immediately dispatched a team to Delhi to conduct raids on the addresses of the accused Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra.
"Since they were not available, a notice under the appropriate sections of law was pasted on the gate of their house. This shows their intent to avoid the police investigation", he said.
Goa Police have obtained transit remand of Bharat Kohli, an employee of the club, and are bringing him to Goa.
He also said that the postmortem on all 25 deceased has been completed and bodies handed over to their families.
