Cong leader booked for threatening municipal commissioner

Bengaluru/Chikkaballapura, Jan 15 (PTI) Congress leader Rajeev Gowda has been booked for threatening the Shidlaghatta Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda over the removal of his banner from a busy junction in the town in Karnataka's Chikkaballapura district.

The Shidlaghatta town police booked Rajeev Gowda on a complaint lodged by Amrutha Gowda on Wednesday.

Rajeev Gowda, who had contested 2023 Assembly polls on the Congress ticket and lost, has been booked on the charges of threatening a public servant and provoking breach of peace, criminal intimidation and criminal force to determine public servant under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

In her complaint the Shidlaghatta City Municipal Council Commissioner said that under the leadership of Rajeev Gowda, a promotion event was organised, and flex banners/posters carrying his photograph were installed across the town.

As these banners were obstructing public movement and traffic at places including the fort area of the city, they were removed and kept in the office.

After coming to know of this, Rajeev Gowda, on January 12 contacted the Commissioner over her mobile phone and threatened her saying that the banners should be reinstalled.

"He further threatened me in abusive language, stating that if I did not comply, I would have to face consequences, that I would be driven out of the Taluk, that he would incite people to assault officers," Amrutha Gowda said in her complaint.

Due to the incident, the Municipal Council employees and civic workers went on a strike for a day on Wednesday, took out a march denouncing the accused and demanded his arrest.

The Congress leader has not been arrested yet, police sources said.

Taking a serious note of the incident, the Congress state unit on Thursday served a show-cause notice to Rajeev Gowda.

In the notice, G C Chandrashekhar, MP and Congress working president (Administration), said Rajeev Gowda's conduct and the words used while speaking to the Municipal Commissioner have caused embarrassment to the party and amount to a violation of the party discipline.

"You are hereby directed to submit a proper explanation in this regard within one week from the date of receipt of this notice, failing which the party's disciplinary committee will initiate further disciplinary action against you," the party said. PTI GMS ADB