After 'Silent' Sunila, BJP now fights off Wilson Garden Naga

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reiterated on Thursday that the BJP would not entertain rowdies, even as Housing Minister V Somanna came under the scanner after history-sheeter Wilson Garden Naga was seen visiting his house.

"I won't comment on this. You may be interested in this, but I'm not. As a party, we won't entertain any rowdies. There's no change in our stand," Bommai said when asked about a rowdy visiting Somanna's house.

This comes at a time when the ruling BJP is fighting off links with gangsters after MPs PC Mohan, Tejasvi Surya, MLA Uday Garudachar and others were seen with rowdy-sheeter 'Silent' Sunila at a public event in Chamarajpet last week.

Also Read: Kateel says BJP will not onboard 'Silent' Sunil

Also, the BJP inducted Mallikarjun aka 'Fighter' Ravi, a history-sheeter who is said to be in the race for the party's Nagamangala ticket in the upcoming Assembly election.

"I don’t know any Naga, Thimma or Bomma,” Somanna said, adding that thousands of people visit his house. "I've been a lawmaker in Bengaluru for 40 years. I've been a politician for 55 years. I haven't led a life that requires me to know such people. My life is an open book. Am I responsible for people who come and go on a public road?" the minister argued.

"I have faced 11 elections of which I've won eight. What is the need for me to know such people? Please have respect for my age and service," Somanna told reporters.

War of words

Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar mocked the BJP for indulging rowdies. "The BJP needs people for the wrestling. That's why they're recruiting (rowdies)," he said. "When did the BJP have ideology anyway? They do politics based on emotions. Emotion won't provide employment. They did not double farmers' income as promised," he said.

Shivakumar's latest bete noire CN Ashwath Narayan, the IT minister who also manages the Ramanagara district that the KPCC chief represents, said the Congress is "well-known" for having rowdies. "Look at [Shivakumar's] background. BJP is pro-people. We won't value [rowdy] culture. The Congress should introspect," Narayan said.