Man who threw eggs at Siddaramaiah’s car claims to be Congressman, party denies

MADIKERI : The political turmoil that has struck Kodagu doesn’t seem to abate anytime soon, with a man claiming to be a Congress worker stating that he threw eggs at Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah’s car during the latter’s visit to the district on Thursday. However, the Congress was quick to refute claims that he was one of its own.

Sampath, a resident of Chowdlu in Somwarpet taluk, said he was a supporter of former minister Jeevijaya when he was in JDS and continued to be one even after the latter had joined the Congress. Further, he said that he “is a Hindu first and I oppose the statements of Siddaramaiah claiming Kodavas as beef eaters and the introduction of Tipu Jayanti”. “I was at Guddehosuru on some personal work on Thursday. When Siddaramaiah visited the spot, I threw eggs at his car,” he stated.

However, the district Congress denied that Sampath was a Congress worker and pulled out an old photograph of him sporting a saffron shawl and posing with BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan to buttress its claim. “The BJP is trying to stop the massive protest planned by the Congress on August 26. Sampath is not a Congress worker,” said Mithun Gowda, district Youth Congress president. Congress legal advisor and senior advocate A S Ponanna accused the BJP of creating unrest in the district, further alleging that people were hired and brought to the district to protest against Siddaramaiah.

Further, even as a ‘Kodagu Chalo’ movement and a protest in front of the Madikeri SP Office to condemn the attack on Siddaramaiah has been planned on August 26 by the state Congress, Kodagu District BJP president Robin Devaiah announced that a massive congregation of BJP workers will be hosted on the same day at Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri.

Addressing reporters in Madikeri, Devaiah accused the Congress of spreading communal hatred. He claimed that BJP workers were not involved in hurling eggs at the former CM and demanded that the incident be thoroughly probed.

Referring to the photograph of Sampath with him, Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan said he is a popular personality, and hence, the accused had clicked a photograph with. He denied that Sampath is a BJP worker. Virajpet MLA KG Bopaiah said Tipu Sultan had attacked Kodagu 32 times. The ‘Kodagu Chalo’ call given by Siddaramaiah is the 33rd attack by the kin of Tipu Sultan, he charged.

7 BJP WORKERS ARRESTED IN MADIKERI
Madikeri police have arrested seven BJP members - Sathya Karkera, Mahesh Jaini, Naveen Poojari, Bharath, Umesh Subramani and Shwetha - for allegedly blocking the Siddaramaiah’s convoy at the checkpost near Madikeri on Thursday. The arrests were made following a complaint by a Congress worker.