Karnataka BJP's Tejasvi Surya Faces Angry Depositors, Congress Mocks With 'Emergency Exit Door' Remark

The incident took place during a brainstorming session of the Co-operative Bank Association attended by political figures in preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Tejasvi Surya faced outrage over a bank scam at the Bengaluru Co-operative Bank Association meeting. ( Image Source :X/ @INCKarnataka )

Amid the ongoing campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, a video has emerged of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya facing outrage from angry protesters during an event in Karnataka.

The incident unfolded after aggrieved depositors who were affected by a multi-crore scam involving the Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (SGRSBN) started protesting and raising slogans at a brainstorming session of the Co-operative Bank Association in Bengaluru. During the incident supporters of Surya and Basavangudi MLA Ravi Subramanian were also present.

The chaos was instigated by depositors who were affected by the scam, expressing their frustration and demanding accountability from political leaders regarding the delay in recovering their losses.

Video footage captured from the event depicted irate depositors vocally confronting Tejasvi Surya and obstructing his departure from the venue. Additionally, allegations surfaced accusing Surya's supporters of intimidating and manhandling the depositors during the gathering.

Congress Party's 'Emergency Exit Door' Jibe At Tejasvi Surya, BJP Claims Party Sent 'Hooligans'

In its social media X, the Karnataka Congress wrote, "BJP's Tejasvi Surya has once again escaped from the crowd through the 'Emergency Exit Door'. The arrogance of Tejasvi Surya, who attacks and abuses voters during elections, has crossed the limit. The time has come for voters to teach him a lesson".

ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಸೂರ್ಯ ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ "ಎಮರ್ಜೆನ್ಸಿ ಎಕ್ಸಿಟ್ ಡೋರ್" ಮೂಲಕ ಜನರಿಂದ ಎಸ್ಕೇಪ್ ಆಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ!

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ದಕ್ಷಿಣದ ಸಂಸದ 5 ವರ್ಷದುದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ದೋಸೆ ತಿಂದುಕೊಂಡು, ಫುಟ್ ಬಾಲ್ ಆಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಮೋಜು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಕಾಲ ಕಳೆದಿದ್ದರು, ಗುರು ರಾಘವೇಂದ್ರ ಸಹಕಾರಿ ಬ್ಯಾಂಕ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಣ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡ ಸಂತ್ರಸ್ತರ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಒಂದು ದಿನವೂ… pic.twitter.com/2J38A0MANi

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 15, 2024

In response to the incident, Tejasvi Surya's office issued a statement asserting that Congress orchestrated the disruption by dispatching "a few hooligans" to disrupt the meeting.

"The Congress sent a few hooligans to the meeting to create a ruckus. One of them shared a video to incite chaos during the meeting. The person in the video isn't even a depositor, but a Congress worker who came to the meeting to cause trouble. Some even made video calls to Congress local leader Shankar Guha to share meeting details and receive further instructions on how to escalate the chaos," BJP MP's office said in a statement, as quoted by India Today.

Tejasvi Surya, the incumbent MP representing the Bangalore South constituency, has recently garnered attention for his significant increase in assets from Rs 13 lakh to over Rs 4 crore since 2019. Additionally, he faces three legal cases, including two stemming from the recent BJP protest against an assault on a shopkeeper in March, and another registered at Civil Lines Police Station, New Delhi, in March 2022.

Complaint Filed With EC Over Alleged Ruckus

In response to this incident, a complaint has been lodged with the Election Commission accusing a Congress candidate and several party members of causing disturbance and harassing Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya at an event, as stated by his office on Monday. 

Organisers of the cooperative sector gathering filed the complaint against the Congress candidate for Bengaluru South, Sowmya Reddy, and her supporters, according to a statement released by Surya's office, as quoted by PTI. 

As per the statement, on April 13, prominent figures from the cooperative sector had arranged a "meet and greet" session with Surya at his election office. In their complaint, the organisers alleged that individuals linked to the Congress party barged into the meeting uninvited and disrupted proceedings. They have demanded that FIRs be registered against the Congress candidate and her associates, urging for a comprehensive investigation into the matter.