Vokkaliga ministers, MLAs meet CM Siddaramaiah, seek strict action against BJP MLA Munirathna

Bengaluru: A delegation of Congress ministers and MLAs belonging to Vokkaliga community on Monday met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and requested for strict action against BJP MLA N Munirathna, who has been arrested on various charges, including using casteist slurs on a former corporator.

The delegation led by Ministers N Cheluvarayaswamy and M C Sudhakar, met Siddaramaiah at his residence.

Munirathna, a former minister, was arrested on Saturday evening after two cases were registered against him, and he is currently in police custody.

"The situation is such that not only our Vokkaliga community, but the entire society as such should boycott him (Munirathna). Our government has already taken action against him by arresting him in accordance with law and he was produced before the court," Cheluvarayaswamy said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, "when a common man commits such a mistake, action is taken, but when a public representative does it -- we have urged the CM that much stricter action should be taken, by gathering further information." Munirathna, who represents Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment in Bengaluru, was picked up from Nangli village in Kolar's Mulbagal on Saturday evening on charges of harassing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor for bribe, casteist slurs on a former corporator, also cheating, criminal intimidation and insulting a woman's modesty.

The contractor Cheluvaraju, who is one of the complainants, has also released a purported audio recording of a phone conversation between him and Munirathna, in which the latter had allegedly made derogatory comments in reference to individuals from Vokkaliga and Dalit community.

Asked as to what kind of action they have sought against Munirathna, Cheluvarayaswamy said, "attempts may be made by him to evade action, but it should not be allowed, and the case should be presented strongly before the court, by the government's advocates with records, and ensure that he gets punished." "The government should take more interest in this case," he said.

Also noting that the delegation has demanded that an investigation should be done by agencies like Lokayukta or Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the case, the minister said, the chief minister has said that it will be looked into.

"Munirathna is unfit to become an MLA," he said.

Subsequently, when reporters pointed out that Munirathna was earlier MLA from Congress, the minister said, "...we had given him a ticket and made him MLA, but we were not aware that he is such a person. Now his colour has come out... apparently there are several incidents involving him. Now the time has come." Cheluvarayaswamy also hit out at BJP leaders for alleging the arrest was made without notice and vendetta politics. "They should be ashamed....the BJP should take disciplinary action against him," he said.

The minister also hit out at JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy for his silence on the issue.

Munirathna in a video statement on Saturday said that the allegations against him are "far from truth", and that he has not made any derogatory comment or spoken against Vokkaliga and the Dalit community or people belonging to it.