Karnataka Congress Leaders Detained For Demanding Minister Somanna's Expulsion

The Minister was caught up in controversy for allegedly slapping a woman in a village in Gundlupet when she went with a plea to resolve her grievance

Karnataka Congress leaders on Monday detained for protesting against state Minister V Somanna, demanding the government to sack the minister. Police detained Congress workers protesting against the state Housing Minister V Somanna, in Bengaluru.

The Minister was caught up in controversy for allegedly slapping a woman in a village in Gundlupet when she went with a plea to resolve her grievance. The minister has not yet reacted to the incident but the woman said Somanna was only consoling her after she tried to prostrate before him with a plea to allot her a government plot.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the minister for his conduct. "What a difference from the way Rahul Gandhi began the Karnataka leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra from the very same Gundlupet on 30th September! This shameless man should be sacked immediately!" Ramesh tweeted.

According to the information received, Somanna, who is the district in-charge minister of Chamarajanagar, had gone to Hangla village in Gundlupet and was taking part in a property document distribution ceremony.

Property documents were given to landless people who were occupying government land for residential purposes but had not secured any ownership of it till now.

During the ceremony, the viral video purportedly showed a woman approaching the minister reportedly pleading him to allot a plot. The minister turned angry after he was shoved due to the unruly crowd and slapped the woman.