The release of an 80-minute audio recording on Wednesday morning had repercussions on the streets of Hassan, with JD(S) workers protesting outside BJP MLA Preetham Gowda’s residence at Vidya Nagar here. The situation soon turned violent in which one man was injured.’
In the audio clip, a man, purportedly Mr. Preetham Gowda, is heard commenting on the health of JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and doubting survival of the party. Mr. Preetham Gowda has claimed that the voice is not his.
Hassan Extension police have registered an FIR against eight people, including Hassan Zilla Panchayat member H.P. Swaroop and the former CMC president H.S. Anil Kumar, based on a complaint filed by Rahul Kini, who suffered an injury.
Soon after the audio recording was released, angry JD(S) cadre gathered outside Mr. Preetam Gowda’s house and a BJP worker suffered injury when an alleged JD(S) worker flung a stone at the house, sparking counter protests by the BJP even in the Legislative Assembly.
The BJP, under attack from the treasury benches over the audio clip, seized the opportunity to mount a counter-attack against the JD(S). A delegation led by BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa is in Hassan to take stock of the situation.
“Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is responsible for not only the attack on the house of Mr. Preetam Gowda but also instigating it,” said Mr. Yeddyurappa. “We also plan to hold a public rally in protest against the goonda act by the JD(S),” he said.
To meet Governor
In Hassan, Mr. Yeddyurappa said, “JD(S) leaders are not ready to tolerate someone coming up in politics against them. We strongly condemn the incident. Tomorrow we will meet the Governor and bring to his notice that our MLAs have no safety under the JD(S)–Congress rule in the State,” he said. BJP workers would stage a protest in all taluk and district centres across the State on Thursday condemning the incident, he said.
Addressing reporters, Mr. Preetham Gowda alleged that Mr. Kumaraswamy and Public Works Minister H.D. Revanna had asked their party workers to destroy him and his family. “They acted like goondas and stoned my house when my aged parents were at home,” he said, and added that “a mafia kind of politics” was prevailing in Hassan district.
He said he would submit petitions to the Assembly Speaker, the Home Secretary and the State police chief seeking security cover for his family.
In the clip, a man, purportedly Mr. Preetham Gowda, is heard speaking to Sharanagouda, son of Gurmitkal JD(S) MLA Naganagouda Kandkur, trying to convince him to switch sides. Arguing that there is no political future in the JD(S), the man is heard as saying, “Deve Gowda’s wicket will fall ... Kumaraswamy is not well ... If they go, the party will collapse”.
