The Congress on Monday suspended its Karnataka MLA JN Ganesh, who hit his colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at a private resort here on Saturday night. In further trouble for Ganesh, Anand — who suffered injuries in the scuffle and is admitted to a private hospital — has filed an FIR against Ganesh.
According to the FIR, besides attempt to murder, Ganesh, who was one of the MLAs reportedly under the BJP lens for desertion, has been charged with causing grievous injuries and giving threats.
Ganesh claimed he too was injured in the scuffle but insisted that no “bottle attack” had taken place as projected in the media. However, he admitted a scuffle had taken place between him and Anand at Eagleton Resorts on the city outskirts late on Saturday.
The Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on Friday last fearing “poaching” by the BJP as bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition Government in the State.
With the Congress is facing much embarrassment over the episode, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect. In order to conduct detailed enquiry into the incident a special enquiry committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.
The panel also includes Ministers KJ George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the release said, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest.
A statement issued by the KPCC said party leaders have conducted a preliminary enquiry about the “unpleasant” incident and have also collected information from Anand.
“Whatever the media has created about (me) hitting (Anand) with bottle ... and he getting14 to 20 stitches ... are all completely false. There were also reports about (me) having bitten our gun man. He is physically present here. This is a lie,” Ganesh said. Stating that Anand is like an elder brother to him, Ganesh said he and his family have respected Anand, whom they knew for the last 15-20 years.
He added, “I have not done this to him purposefully. On some issue Bhima Naik (another Congress MLA) and Anand (had differences), I tried to bring them together (compromise) ... but some wrong events happened.”
“If the events that happened there have pained him (Anand), I would apologise to his family. This did not happen intentionally. He was unwell and was hospitalised. Things have been created by the media,” he added.
Asked about Anand being injured, Ganesh said “nothing as you think ... I also have injuries I cannot say ... leave it, nothing as you are thinking.”
On why he was blaming the media, Ganesh said, “Who told you that I have hit Anand with a bottle? The Media is showing that way, which is false. Our gunman is here; ask him, reports claimed I have bit him too,” he said.
Asked whether reports about him hitting Anand were false, Ganesh said “some incident” had taken place and he was not denying it.”