BANGALORE: Unconvinced by Home Minister K J George's explanation that the government was allowing a fair investigation into MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar's alleged assault on a constable, the opposition BJP walked out of the Assembly on Monday.
As soon as the Assembly resumed business, George started reading out the same reply he had read out in the Legislative Council last Friday. He said the government had acted impartially in the Kashappanavar case.
"The fact that the police have registered a case is by itself proof that the government is not shielding anyone," he said. "We will not do anything that will dent the confidence and morale of the police force."
In their complaint, filed after the incident late on Tuesday, the constables had said rowdy sheeter Somashekar Gowda and MLA Kashappanavar were around during the assault, George claimed.
'Byrathi Innocent'
Contrary to media reports quoting policemen, George said, KR Puram Congress MLA Byrathi Basavaraju had not slapped a traffic constable.
"Around 3.30 pm on June 26, Basavaraju asked constable Bheemu Lamani why traffic had piled up at Jeevanahalli. The constable said it was because of a truck breakdown. After this, there was an argument following which the MLA called the local ACP and asked him to pull up the constable. The MLA left after the ACP promised to warn the constable," George said.
The minister claimed the police were free to deal with some youths who had dropped the names of senior politicians on June 29, after they were caught zipping in expensive cars near the Taj West End.
Noticing the youths' fancy cars being driven dangerously, the police tried to stop them. When the youths didn’t stop, the police chased them and booked them for reckless driving, collecting a fine of Rs 900, George said.
Not satisfied by the explanations, which offered nothing new by way of information, BJP members headed by Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar walked out.