US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Byre Gowda hurt in fight over party office

Karnataka minister C Byre Gowda was injured in a clash between the rival factions of the Janata Dal over possession of the party office in Bangalore today.

The incident occurred when Byre Gowda, who heads the faction owing allegiance to Chief Minister J H Patel, along with ministers K N Nage Gowda and B N Bache Gowda and others, went to take possession of the office, now held by ousted deputy chief minister K Siddaramaiah of the H D Deve Gowda faction.

Deve Gowda's supporters heckled them at the gate. In the melee, some men grabbed Byre Gowda's left hand and smashed it against the iron gates. He was rushed to the government-run Bowring Hospital for treatment.

Later, talking to reporters at his residence, Byre Gowda said more than 100 supporters of Deve Gowda were involved in the attack. He has lodged a complaint with the police.

Janata Dal office-bearer Ashok Navalgund said Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy, a son of Deve Gowda, were in the party office at the time of the incident.

Later, Navalgund and some ministers staged a dharna (sit-in) at 'Anugraha', official residence of sacked housing minister H D Revanna, another son of Deve Gowda, with whom the former prime minister is staying.

Byre Gowda said the caveat filed by the rival group itself showed that the office premises do not belong to it and promised to take legal measures to repossess it.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report