In a shocking turn of events, Karnataka Legislative Council Deputy Chairman S L Dharmegowda who earlier this month was assaulted by Congress MLCs has been found dead. It is alleged that Dharmegowda committed suicide.
The dead body of the JD(S) leader and Deputy Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council was found near his hometown on a railway track near Chikmagalur.
The 64-year-old left his home last night with his body being recovered around. Reportedly, a suicide note has also been recovered from the site.
Former PM and JD(S) Supremo HD Deve Gowda expressed shock over Dharmegowda’s death and said, “This is a loss of the state.”
It is pertinent to note that Dharmegowda was assaulted by Congress MLCs for his audacity to chair the session. The BJP had moved a no-confidence motion against the Chairman, Pratap Chandra Shetty from the INC, with Dharmegowda being dragged off the chair by Congress MLCs as he was presiding the no-confidence motion.
JDS MLC BM Farooq upon hearing the news of his alleged suicide said that Dharmegowda was upset over the incident as he was literally pulled down from the chair and was caught at the centre of the ruckus between the MLCs.
“He was saddened about the council incident. He was depressed when I met him after that. He didn’t want any position. His facial expression said that he was influenced to sit on the chair that day by someone,” said Farooq.
JD(S), the former coalition partner of INC in the erstwhile HD Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka, had joined hands with the BJP to seek the removal of the Chairman of the upper house, K Pratapachandra Shetty. However, Shetty rejected the motion citing procedural lapses while pointing out the lack of specific charges against him. However, the BJP-JD(S) combine insisted on going ahead with the motion by having Dharmegowda on the chair, which led to the ruckus as Congress MLCs then started behaving like street thugs, manhandling Dharmegowda.
Whatever happened in Karnataka’s Upper House was a blot on Indian democracy as the sacred institution was filled with goons. A thorough investigation must be ensured to check if the incident had indeed led to the death of Dharmegowda. Indian politicians especially the Congress-led opposition leaders must stop acting like street thugs and behave like people’s representatives.
