Bengaluru: After gruesome pictures of an injured Congress MLA Anand Singh emerged on social media, the Congress party’s citadel of cover-up and lies collapsed here on Monday. The police have, meanwhile, filed a case of attempt to murder against Congress MLA from Kampi JN Ganesh who reportedly smashed a liquor bottle on the head of Singh resulting in serious head injuries and a black eye. The Congress immediately suspended Ganesh from the party and the MLA went missing.
The police case followed a complaint filed by Anand Singh who is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital here. Singh, in the FIR, has accused Ganesh of assaulting him at the sprawling Eagleton Resort. The alleged brawl followed a heated argument in which Ganesh alleged that Singh “played a double game” while reporting the dissidence to the high command. Both were consuming liquor and in a furious moment Ganesh picked up a bottle and smashed it on the head of Singh.
Eyewitnesses said Ganesh continued with the assault as Singh was caught off-guard. The Congress first tried to cover up the incident saying that there was no brawl and that Singh was admitted to hospital following chest pain. Then the Congress said Singh had a fall. Speaking to the media soon after the incident, Water Resource Minister DK Shivakumar rubbished reports that the two MLAs were involved in a brawl.
It is all fake news. There was no fight, no assault, no liquor bottles,” Shivakumar had said. But after the FIR was filed, the Congress released a press note saying serious allegations have been made with regards to the incident and that “on the orders of KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA J N Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect”. For a detailed inquiry into the incident, a special committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.
Singh, who was formerly with the Bellary Reddy brothers group in the BJP, was initially reported by Shivakumar to be among Congress rebels the BJP was trying to poach. Singh, however, reached Shivakumar’s residence a day later and the duo reported to Congress in-charge for Karnataka K C Venugopal. Singh reportedly informed the leadership that the rebellion was instigated by Congress leader from Belagavi Ramesh Jharkiholi, who is locked in an ego battle with Shivakumar.
