Minister vows to expose 'victim'

Suspects underworld link as Bharath was allegedly rude to him

“It is not the end. It is just the beginning for him (Bharath Gowda). I am collecting all information about him. I will expose him and his family very soon,” an emotionally-charged minister told reporters in Vidhana Soudha.

Gowda said he has a suspicion that Bharath might have connections with the underworld and so was the reason he spoke so rudely to a senior politician and a minister like him.

Defamation case

Besides, Gowda said he has decided to file a defamation case against a Kannada daily for publishing what he termed as “false” and “malicious” report.

Though the Labour Minister expressed regrets over the whole episode, he refused to tender an apology. He said he met the Chief Minister on Wednesday and explained to him about the incident.

Narrating his version of the incident, he maintained that neither his gunmen nor himself assaulted the realtor.

“I was concerned about his (Bharath) rash and negligent driving. He had almost hit my car in which I was travelling from Hassan to Bangalore. When I asked him why he was driving negligently, he was very rude in his reply. Then I called the police. The next day I was shocked to see a report on the incident that was far from truth,” he stated.

Gowda alleged that it was a conspiracy to defame him. Those who could not digest his performance as minister have hatched a conspiracy, the minister added.

‘Ascertain facts’

On the Opposition parties’ demand for his resignation, he said: “I am innocent and have not done anything wrong to resign as the minister. The Opposition parties and people should react only after ascertaining the facts.”