Shivakumar urges Vokkaliga mutt heads to speak up on BJP MLA’s comments

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday urged heads of Vokkaliga religious mutts to comment on the alleged obscene utterances by BJP MLA Munirathna Naidu on women from the community, seeking to keep the heat on the former BJP minister and his saffron party.

Shivakumar, a member of Karnataka's second largest community himself and head of the state unit of the Congress, asked the community leaders, religious heads, and civil society to speak up, while speaking to the media after his return from the week-long US trip.

The police arrested the four-time MLA from RR Nagar in Bengaluru on Saturday on charges of hurling slurs at a member of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and demanding bribes from a municipal contractor. He also allegedly used obscene language against Vokkaliga women and lowered their dignity as revealed by leaked audio tapes.


The Dy CM also demanded to know from the BJP leaders if they approved of the comments Munirathna has been accused of.

Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh had represented Bengaluru Rural in the Lok Sabha three times before and lost to BJP’s Dr CN Manjunath in the recent LS polls. RR Nagar is part of Bengaluru Rural seat, and ever since the defeat, the political enmity between Naidu and the DK brothers has only worsened.

The BJP MLA has denied charges and pointed fingers at the DK brothers.

Naidu, who spent two days in police custody, is being treated at Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology in Bengaluru after he complained of uneasiness and chest pain.