A family living next door to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at TK Layout here besieged him on Tuesday just as he was getting into his car to leave for Chikmagalur.
They demanded justice against what they called was the “high-handedness” of his personal secretary, Kumar.
Further chaos ensued when workers of the Congress party tried to restrain the media from covering the incident. The family — Gopalagowda, his wife Kavitha and ailing mother who live just two blocks away from the CM’s private residence — stopped his car just as he was getting into it. Speaking in a loud voice, they beseeched him.
They complained that whenever he stayed at his house, it brought them “miseries”. Scores of common people, including the chief minister’s supporters, gather outside his house to meet him. But their visit brings suffering to neighbours as the visitors urinate and throw litter in the vicinity, Gopalagowda said.
According to Gopalagwda, he had complained about the nuisance to Kumar on Monday night only to incur his wrath. Kumar and his men barged into their house in the night and assaulted them, the family alleged.
Kavitha even showed Siddaramaiah her bangles, which she claimed were broken in the incident, as well as stones allegedly thrown at the family. Gopalagowda’s mother suffered a gash and swelling on the forehead, they charged.
Just when Gopalagowda was complaining to Siddaramaiah—refusing to budge until the family got justice, scores of Congress party workers present at the spot tried to restrain the media from covering the incident.
This created tension for a while, which subsided only after police intervened. Meanwhile, another section of party workers managed to whisk the family away to their house. A visibly embarrassed Siddaramaiah later told reporters that he would bring a criminal charge against Kumar.
For the sake of privacy
Ever since he became chief minister, Siddaramaiah prefers to stay at his private house at T K Layout, instead of the government guesthouse. Scores of people, including his supporters, gather there and it has become a routine for the CM to conduct a ‘janata darshan’ before leaving the city.
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