Congress issues notice to Ashok Pattan on hot mic row

Karnataka Congress on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to senior leader Ashok Pattan after he was caught on a hot mic badmouthing the party’s president D K Shivakumar.

In the notice issued by the KPCC disciplinary committee chairperson K Rahman Khan, Pattan has been asked to explain his “anti-party” behaviour within a week.

Last week, before the start of a news conference, Pattan was heard complaining to Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah that Shivakumar is trying to wield his influence on constituencies to increase the chances of his choice of candidates in getting the 2023 Assembly election tickets. Specifically, the discussion was on Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy.

“They’re already at it,” Pattan says, referring to Shivakumar’s loyalists. To this, Siddaramaiah says, “Let them do it. Ultimately, the sitting MLA will be denied the ticket only if it is established that he is going to lose. They will just spoil the constituencies.” Concurring, Pattan says Shivakumar wants his way everywhere. Finally, Siddaramaiah realises that the mics are hot and stops the conversation.

“Being a senior leader and an experienced legislator, your private statements have damaged the honour of the KPCC president and that of the party, and this has been reported by the media. Whatever you have said is baseless and the Congress absolutely condemns and denies it. Your behaviour has not only damaged the party, but is also anti-party. You have seven days to explain yourself,” Khan has said in his notice to Pattan.

A former chief whip, Pattan earlier represented the Ramdurg Assembly segment.

Check out latest videos from DH: