Such incidents must not recur, state Congress in-charge tells Siddaramaiah

Even as the Congress is yet to recover from the episode involving the son of Shanthinagar legislator N A Haris, it received another jolt on Tuesday with a video showing a party worker running amok inside a government office going viral.  

The video showing party worker S Narayanaswamy spewing what looked like petrol at a BBMP office in KR Puram, with threats to set it afire,  was widely aired by news channels.

Narayanaswamy was formerly president of the party's KR Puram unit and is a member of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara ordered his suspension.  

Expelled for six years

He is the second party worker to be shown the door in three days after Bengaluru City Youth Congress general secretary Mohammed Haris Nalapad was expelled for six years. Nalapad has been booked for assaulting a diner named L Vidwath at a city restaurant.

Apparently, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal got in touch with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara, directing them to ensure such incidents do not occur, lest they cost the party dearly in the upcoming polls.

They have been asked to send a strong message to the party cadre on exercising caution.

Ashoka meets Vidwath

BJP leader R Ashoka, a former deputy chief minister, visited Vidwath at the hospital on Tuesday.

"His breathing problem has increased. X-ray shows nine ruptured bones in his chest because he was stomped upon. There are two cuts on the nose and a fracture in the leg. His health seems to be deteriorating by the day," he said.