Belagavi, Dec 12 (DHNS): Housing Minister M H Ambareesh may help the BJP deflect criticism from it, over one of its MLAs, Prabhu Chavan, watching a picture of Priyanka Gandhi on his smartphone in the Assembly.
It has now surfaced that Ambareesh, along with former minister and Congress MLA S S Mallikarjun, was watching a video in the Assembly on Wednesday evening – probably about the same time when BJP’s Prabhu Chavan was zooming in on Priyanka Gandhi‘s images. Though some TV news channels aired live images of the minister holding a cellphone, they could not show what exactly he was watching. In the footage, Mallikarjun is seen showing the minister something.
Besides, a video showing Ambareesh enjoying music in a bar and a picture of him kissing a young girl was being circulated on social media.
The two bits of “evidence” became ammunition for the BJP, which has been left red faced over the Chavan incident, to take on the Congress. Ambareesh, unperturbed, hit back at his detractors saying, “Yes… naanu 350 hudageerna ittukondideeni (...I have affairs with 350 girls). So what? Let them complain to anyone. I don’t care. I danced with girls in movies, but I didn’t do it inside the Assembly”. He, however, denied having watched anything objectionable inside the House with Mallikarjun.
The picture of the actor-turned-politician kissing a girl was circulated on WhatsApp. There is no confirmation on the authenticity of the image yet.
The minister appeared to have no qualms about the photograph were being circulated.
“If the photograph has been sent to Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice president), let them do it. I have no problem. It is my private life,” he said.
The BJP has been claiming the two Congress leaders were watching the video of Ambareesh enjoying a popular Hindi song in a bar. It is said the video was shot in a Bengaluru bar recently. But another version is that it was recorded several months ago in a bar in his home district Mandya.
Asked about the allegation that he watched a video inside the House, Ambareesh said, “Discussion on the sugar cane issue was over in the House. At that time Mallikarjun came to me and asked me to see a message on his mobile phone. But he was unable to open it. I told him I am not interested and sent him away,” he claimed.
Controversy has become the middle name of the ‘Rebel Star’ ever since he became a minister. He recently embarrassed the government and drew criticism for calling a woman IAS officer fair and beautiful at a public function in Mandya.
Ambareesh was accused of getting a Mandya Urban Development Authority site allotted for himself by bending rules. He and his family have illegally got three such sites allotted, it was claimed. He was criticised for getting his hefty medical bills of Rs 1.16 crore cleared by the government. He underwent month-long treatment in Singapore early this year.
He had recently embarrassed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by openly commenting on nominations to boards and corporations. Ambareesh, who was upset over his followers from Mandya district not being nominated, had complained that the chief minister did not consult him while selecting names for the nominations.
Some Congress workers wrote to Digvijay Singh, the in-charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka, alleging that Ambareesh had time for going to bars, but not to attend Cabinet meetings. Members of the Ahinda Yuva Vedike, Mandya district, have written to Rahul Gandhi, about Ambareesh’s indiscretions.
The chief minister told reporters he condemned the act of Ambareesh using cellphone in the Assembly. “Where did he see and what did he see? If he has done it, then we will ask him not to repeat it,” he added.
Prabhu Chavan touches feet of speaker
Daijiworld Media Network - Belagavi (SP)
Belagavi, Dec 12: Aurad MLA Prabhu Chavan, who is in a controversy relating to viewing of Praiyanka Gandhi's picture on his cell phone when attending the ongoing assembly session, reportedly touched the feet of assembly speaker, Kagodu Thimmappa, on Thursday December 11 morning, seeking apology and requesting for closing the matter without dragging it any further.
BJP sources said that Prabhu visited the chamber of the speaker before the session was to meet, expressed his regrets, touched his feet, and sought to bury the issue. Since the issue gained publicity, Prabhu Chavan has apologized several times, in front of the media, parliamentary party meeting, when speaking to state party president, Prahlad Joshi, and again, in speaker's chamber.
Chavan stayed disturbed all through the day, and many BJP legislators were seen approaching and pacifying him. MLAs like Sunil Kukar, C T Ravi, Aravind Limbavali,Laxman Savadi etc kept him company all through the day in an effort to buoy his mood. Even Bidar MLA, Ashok Kheny, approached him and said encouraging words.
Yalahanka MLA, S R Vishwanath, who was one of the MLAs to remain close to Chavan during the day, said that Chavan is going through a period of worry and tension. He said considering the mental condition of Chavan, he was taken to the former's room for the night. He added that wives of several MLAs including his own,have been advising their spouses not to take cellphones while attending assembly sessions.