Karnataka   

Cases filed against former Minister

MYSORE: The former Minister H. Vishwanath, whose autobiography, Halli Hakkiya Hadu, has raised the hackles of the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, has now landed himself in soup over his remarks against the Chammara community.

Two complaints were lodged before the city police and one case was filed in a city court against Mr. Vishwanath for passing allegedly demeaning references to the Chammara (cobbler) community during the release of his autobiography at the Mysore District Journalists’ Association here on Tuesday.

According to the complainants, Mr. Vishwanath had insulted the Chammara community by wondering aloud “why he could not write an autobiography when Chammaras in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh could do so.”

The Chammara Vedike, led by its president Narayanappa, filed a case against Mr. Vishwanath in a city court on Thursday for insulting the community. Later, advocate Radha, who appeared on behalf of Mr. Narayanappa, followed it up by lodging a complaint in the K.R. police station on Thursday night on the same issue.

Convener of Mysore district unit of Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samithi Yadathale Ningaraju has lodged a complaint with the police.

“This is an insult to the community,” said Mr. Ningaraju, who hails from Jettihundi in Yelwal hobli of Mysore taluk.

After receiving the complaints, the K.R. police in Mysore registered a case against Mr. Vishwanath.

The complaints against Mr. Vishwanath’s allegedly demeaning remarks come close on the heels of the hornets’ nest he had stirred by making allusions to a romantic affair between Mr. Krishna and yesteryear actor B. Saroja Devi in the autobiography.

Mr. Krishna’s supporters in Mysore had also formed a “Vishwanath Viruddha Horata Samithi” to intensify the agitation against the former Minister’s controversial autobiography.

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