Siddaramaiah loses cool, pulls mike during wordy duel with woman party worker
Bengaluru, Jan 28: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah landed in a controversy Monday when he engaged in a wordy duel with a woman and snatched the microphone from her, dislodging her dupatta in the process at an event in Varuna in Mysuru.
The incident which occurred during a public interaction organised by Siddaramaiah, his MLA son Yathindra who represents Varuna assembly constituency, and others, was caught on camera with the video of it going viral.
While the BJP condemned the incident, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma said the commission would write to Karnataka police seeking appropriate action on the matter.
The meet was convened to discuss strengthening the party base in the constituency, earlier held by Siddaramaiah, ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections.
The video showed a wordy duel between Siddaramaiah and Jamalar, a former District Panchayat member, who said she was upset that his son Yathindra "showed up" seven months after getting elected.
I am not going to keep quiet. We are seeing Saheb today, during the election time, said Jamalar during the meeting.
Her accusation irked Siddaramaiah, who said his son keeps visiting the constituency, which she strongly contested.
The woman tapped the table to buttress her point,further enraging Siddaramaiah who shouted at her and forcibly asked her to sit.
As she beat the table the second time, Siddaramaiah lost his cool and snatched the microphone with which the dupatta got entangled.
Later speaking to reporters, Jamalar said the local officers did not respond and they wanted the MLA's intervention.
"The MLA does not visit our area. Where should we go if we have to get our official works done?" Jamalar asked
She, however, regretted thumping the table.
In a tweet, NCW chief Sharma said "NCWIndia has taken Suo Motu cognisance. Will write to Karnataka Police to take appropriate action."
Condemning Siddaramaiah for losing cool, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said, The aggrieved woman is from Congress. She is complaining that the MLA is not available.
"Instead of addressing her grievance persuasively, Siddaramaiah displayed his anger by snatching the microphone from her and shouting at her."
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Cong to distribute over 40 lakh pamphlets focused on 'Mahalakshmi' scheme
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress is set to step up its outreach to women ahead of the sixth and seventh phases of the Lok Sabha polls with plans in place to distribute more than 40 lakh pamphlets focused on its proposed "Mahalakshmi" scheme under which Rs 1 lakh will be given every year to a woman from a poor family, sources said.
In a video message, Sonia Gandhi had said last week that women of the country are facing tough times in the wake of a "severe crisis" and the party's proposed 'Mahalakshmi scheme' for them will help change their lives.
"The Congress' 'Mahalakshmi' scheme guarantees that we will give Rs 1 lakh every year to a woman from a poor family," she had said in her video message.
Sources said the Congress is all set to distribute more than 40 lakh pamphlets with key focus on "Mahalakshmi" scheme in poll-bound constituencies across the country ahead of the sixth and seventh phases.
Addressing a rally here on Saturday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi spoke about the Mahalakshmi scheme the party intended to bring if the INDIA bloc came to power.
"We will make crores of lakhpatis. Under the scheme, a list of all families living below the poverty line will be drawn and a woman will be chosen from each family and the INDIA bloc will give them one lakh rupees in a year by depositing Rs 8,500 per month," he had said.
At a public meeting earlier, Gandhi had said that on July 1, when the poor women will check their accounts, they will find that Rs 8,500 have 'magically' been deposited.
And this will happen on the first of every month, he had said.
Sources said it was during Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, that several women met Gandhi and shared their grievances with him, and after that the Congress came up with the Mahalakshmi scheme.
Mahalakshmi scheme is among the main five guarantees that the Congress has promised.
"The Congress resolves to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The poor will be identified among the families in the bottom of the income pyramid," the Congress manifesto has said.
The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha pills will be held on May 25 while the seventh and final phase will be held on June 1.
The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
