Cong leader booked for threatening and abusing Municipal Commissioner

Congress leader B.V. Rajeev Gowda from Shidlaghatta in Chikkaballapur district allegedly threatened the Municipal Commissioner of the town of setting fire to her office and getting her beaten up, and used abusive language, over a flex and banner that was removed for violating norms.

The audio recording of the phone call Mr. Gowda made to the Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda was leaked in the media. Opposition leaders H. D. Kumaraswamy and R. Ashok, among others, criticised the government.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Chikkaballapur district incharge minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar condemned the incident and said law will take its own course.

Hours later, on Wednesday evening, based on a complaint from the Municipal Commissioner, police have now booked Rajeev Gowda, who was Congress’s candidate from Shidlaghatta in the 2023 assembly polls, but lost.

The incident reportedly happened on Tuesday evening, when an event was held to promote Kannada film Cult, starring Zaid Khan, son of Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan. Flexes and banners were put up across the town for the event, including at Kote Circle, which was removed by the CMC, following complaints by the public.

Mr. Gowda reportedly called the Municipal Commissioner, and even as she was trying to tell him that the flex had caused an accident and that there were complaints and so it was removed, Mr. Gowda is heard abusing her and threatening her. “I will get people to your office, so that you run away. There will be riots in all 31 wards,” the man is heard saying on the call.

Shidlaghatta CMC employees held a protest demanding action against Mr. Gowda on Wednesday, even as Amrutha Gowda broke down speaking to media persons. “I was a software engineer and my husband lives abroad. But I left a good package and became a KAS officer to serve people. In my five years of service, nobody has spoken to me like this,” she said.

However, Mr. Gowda, speaking to media persons, denied using abusive words and said he was upset with civic problems in the 31 wards of the town.

Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said he spoke to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and demanded that the lady officer should be protected. “Under this government, small issues like flex and banners are blowing up and turning into law and order issues,” he said. BJP has demanded the arrest of Mr. Gowda and leader of opposition in the assembly R. Ashok demanded suo motu action by the Karnataka State Women’s Commission.