Bengaluru: Congress Leader Throws Petrol Inside BBMP Office, Threatens To Set It On Fire

Recently, a video surfaced on the internet which showed former KR Puram block Congress President Narayanaswamy, who happens to be a close associate of KR Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, misusing his power.

The video that was released to the media on February 20, shows Narayanaswamy enraged inside the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ward office in Horamavu. With a bottle of petrol in his hand, he can be seen threatening the officers around that he will set the office on fire. In the video, he can also be heard asking the officers to get out.

Congress MLA Byrathi Basavaraj's associate, Narayanaswamy, threatened to set BBMP ward office on fire as the revenue officer allegedly did not sign off on a fake katha document. @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/SmN3PqQdBr

— Theja Ram (@thejaram92) February 20, 2018

Misuse of power

Narayanaswamy keeps throwing petrol on Assistant Revenue Officer Chengal Rayappa. He kept on demanding the other officers to bring Rayappa the papers that needed to be signed. According to The News Minute, an official who was at the BBMP office that day said that Narayanaswamy was involved in a land dispute in the NRI Layout in Horamavu and the case was being heard in the City Civil Court.

“Narayanaswamy wanted the Assistant Revenue Officer’s signature on a Katha document, which would attest to him being the property owner. He had refused multiple times and, on February 16, he took his threats to the next level. He had come prepared as he had a bottle of petrol with him and he started throwing it inside the office and also on Chengal Rayappa,” the BBMP officer added, as reported by The News Minute.

Narayanaswamy apparently threatened officer Rayappa and asked him to not lodge a formal police complaint against him. However, Rayappa was transferred immediately after that day and the BBMP Commissioner urged him to file a complaint.

Minister speaks

“Why is everyone bent on making me look bad? I have been running from pillar to post to get one document signed and the BBMP officials have been dodging me. I was really angry and, in a fit of rage, I may have done what I did. But I did not actually want to set fire to the office. If I had known that this was how the BBMP officers worked, then I would have taken up the matter with their higher-ups sooner. I always follow the right path and I am not the one to be blamed here. I don’t think I did anything wrong,” Narayanaswamy said, as reported by The News Minute.

Although, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was unhappy with the entire incident and said, “No one is above the law. If Narayanaswamy has committed a crime, then he has to be arrested.”