KOLAR: Kolar BJP MP S Muniswamy and Bangarpet Congress MLA SN Narayanaswamy got into a heated argument and almost came to blows on the dais at the first district-level Janata Darshan, even as district in-charge minister Byrati Suresh chaired the event in Kolar on Monday. Kolar SP M Narayan acted swiftly and pulled Muniswamy away before the altercation got uglier. Soon after the shameful incident, the programme was wound up quickly.
It occurred at the Ranga Mandira hall during the Janata Darshan, where Byrati Suresh, district in-charge secretary Ekroop Kaur, senior district officials and legislators were present.
Narayanaswamy and Kolar MLA Kothur Manjunath were seated next to Suresh on the dais. As the programme progressed, Muniswamy submitted a memorandum to Suresh on the Srinivasapura forest issue, and told the minister that he is flanked by land encroachers (bhu kallaru iddare), referring to Narayanaswamy and Manjunath. This enraged Narayanaswamy and he protested loudly. Soon, the two were shouting and abusing each other.
When Muniswamy moved towards Narayanaswamy threateningly, the SP swiftly acted and pulled him away from the dais, even as Suresh tried to pacify them both.
Muniswamy was later pacified by high-level district officials and he returned to the stage and addressed the meeting. A video of the altercation went viral on social media.
District in-charge minister Byrati Suresh, while talking to reporters after the event, said it was shameful that elected representatives acted in such a manner. The programme was for the benefit of the people and it was the bounden duty of MPs and MLAs to respond positively. They should keep away from their personal issues and work for the development of the district. “I will talk to both of them. I hope such incidents do not recur in the future,” he added.