MLAs breathe fire at babus over frisking episode

Like always, this year too Dasara was not free from its share of controversies. Some of the MLAs, who were incensed at being put through a security check at the inaugural ceremony, staged a walkout in protest shortly thereafter.

Utter chaos prevailed when writer Chandrashekara Kambara was felicitated much before the opening of the festival.

Chamaraja MLA Vasu (Congress), K R Nagar MLA Sa Ra Mahesh and H D Kote MLA Chikkamadu (both JD-S) were climbing the dais where the inaugural session was slated, when a policeman stopped them.

Vasu, who was in the lead, was frisked by the policeman with an hand-held metal detector. Vasu, who cooperated by raising his hands, could not hide his anger when the policeman wanted to look into his trouser pockets.

The MLA had a key in the pocket and the protruding article prompted the police to look for ‘objectionable’ materials, if any. Mahesh, who was standing behind, yelled at the police, saying the person being frisked was an MLA.

What angered Mahesh further was that though the trio had passed through the door-framed metal detector, they had to stop again for the security check.

The trio were seething with anger, when a police inspector came to pacify them. The legislators blamed the official machinery for the episode.

After registering their protest with Police Commissioner M A Saleem and Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare, who are understood to have apologised for the same, the three legislators walked out after participating in the inauguration of the festival.

Both Vasu and Mahesh said when the legislators are invited for a programme, a protocol had to be maintained by deputing a local officer to receive the guests. “At the Hills, every officer went behind the chief minister, ignoring others,” they said.

Privilege motion

Though he belongs to the ruling party, Vasu hinted at raising a privilege motion in the Assembly over the issue.

Another gaffe

There was another embarrassing moment when the district administration preferred to felicitate Kambara with the customary Mysore peta, shawl, fruits and a memento, much before the opening of the festival.

Photographers and cameramen who had gathered near the chariot where the dignitaries offer floral tributes to the deity to mark the beginning of the festival shouted at the officials, reminding them about the tradition.

As a result, Kambara had to re-enact the felicitation scene for the flashbulbs.