Karnataka Congress MLA JN Ganesh, facing legal action for assaulting MLA Anand Singh, blames him for purported Facebook post

Bengaluru: Congress MLA JN Ganesh, facing an attempt to murder case after allegedly assaulting his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh , Thursday purportedly came out with his account, blaming the latter for the turn of events. Ganesh, in a post on a Facebook page titled “Kampli Congress” addressed the people of his Kampli constituency, accused Singh of trying to finish him off politically besides threatening his family. The absconding MLA claimed it was Singh who first attacked him and also passed derogatory remarks against his family members and also his caste.

Ganesh said he later retaliated and that three other party MLAs were witness to the incidents. “I had no intention to hit Anand Singh, who spoke ill about my cast. If I had to do that I could have done it when I was with him in the room for two to three hours. There was no such intention,” Ganesh said in the post. “All this is known to all party leaders. The leaders said there were mistakes on both our parts and both of us have embarrassed the party and called doctors for give me first aid,” he added. Singh and Ganesh, both from Ballari district, had a heated argument and came to blows at the resort where the Congress MLAs were herded together amid alleged poaching attempt by the BJP. Police have registered an FIR charging Ganesh with attempt to murder on a complaint by Singh, who is convalescing in a hospital in Bengaluru. A red-faced Congress on Monday suspended Ganesh, who claimed he was also injured in the incident. Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday had asked Ganesh to surrender and face the law. “One has to surrender and face the law, nothing should be done illegally, and there is no question of Congress interfering. No one is above law; every one should function under the law,” he told reporters. Meanwhile, a group of supporters of Kampli MLA met Rao and requested him to revoke Ganesh’s suspension from party.