BJP leader abused, beat up Dalit woman: Cong

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Milind Dharmasena on Thursday accused a BJP leader and workers of abusing and assaulting a Dalit woman in Yelahanka in the city.

Dharmasena alleged that former saffron party Zilla Parishad member Umesh and his supporters had assaulted Rangamma, a Pourakarmika (sanitation worker) in the BBMP ward 71 in Chikkagollarahatti village, over a housing dispute.

The Congress leader said that Rangamma’s son Naveen Kumar had been a BJP worker, but switched loyalties to Congress and even clicked a picture with KPCC president DK Shivakumar. He claimed that this angered the local BJP leaders.

Moreover, when Naveen tried to construct a house right next to a small residence of his own, local BJP leaders disconnected the electricity and water supply to it and even abused and assaulted Rangamma over the same. Dharmasena added that the local police station and district collector had not responded to this atrocity on the eve of elections.