BJP, Congress corporators come to blows at BBMP council meet

It was a free-for-all like situation at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council meeting on Tuesday when the BJP and the Congress corporators almost came to blows.

It all started when the Congress corporator from Yeshwantpur ward G K Venkatesh flashed a compact disc and some documents claiming that he has proof to nail the BJP leaders including party’s state president B S Yeddyurappa. The council meeting was adjourned thrice over the issue as the unrelenting BJP corporators trooped into the well of the House raising slogans against the Congress and Venkatesh.

BJP corporator from Govindarajnagar Umesh Shetty sought to know why the ‘Khata Mela’, like the one happening in Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone is not being organised elsewhere. As Rajarajeshwari Nagar is represented by the Congress MLA Munirathna, his supporters including Venkatesh got agitated.

He flashed the CD and documents. BJP corporators stated that Venkatesh made derogatory remarks against Yeddyurappa. The Council was adjourned twice and when the corporators assembled for the third time, the BJP members led by their leader in the council Padmanabha Reddy insisted that stringent action be taken against Venkatesh.

Repeated pleas by Mayor G Padmavathi to restore normality went in vain. Rajajinagar corporator G Krishnamurthy and other Congress corporators tried to pacify Padmanabha Reddy. Suddenly, the situation turned violent as BJP corporators went close to Congress members M Velu Nayakar and Venkatesh.

This led to commotion, followed by the Congress and the BJP corporators pushing and shoving each other. A few women corporators were injured in the melee when the BJP corporators fell on them. Even after the council was adjourned sine die, the din continued.

Later, the Congress corporators staged a demonstration on the steps of the Palike council raising slogans against the ‘hooligan’ BJP corporators. Former Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy termed it the most unfortunate incident in the history of BBMP. Padmanabha Reddy blamed the Congress for the incident.

“We too want to see what CD Venkatesh is talking about. We know that there is no substance in his claim. The din was created intentionally to vitiate the atmosphere,” said Padmanabha Reddy.