BJP legislator Belli Prakash enters into a scuffle with Narayana Gowda

Bengaluru: Irked over 'inaccessibility,' Karnataka BJP MLA Belli Prakash on Monday entered into a scuffle with Municipalities Minister K.C. Narayana Gowda.

The skirmish took place at the lounge outside the Assembly hall, where a makeshift canteen has been set up for refreshments.

Prakash is a an MLA from Kadur, a taluka in Chikkamagaluru district 233 kilometres from state capital Bengaluru. According to the sources, Prakash who saw Gowda coming into the canteen along with a few staff members, immediately asked him (Gowda) about why he had been avoiding him. "I had asked you to get clearances from your department. You have been avoiding me for the last four or five months. Why are you doing this to me?" he reportedly asked him.

Unprepared for such an uncomfortable question in full public glare, Gowda retorted stating that if any legislator had any problems with him, he/she should come to him and meet him in his office and not question him in a public place, that too in this undignified manner.

At this juncture, both Prakash and Gowda lost their cool and started raising their voices. Realising that the situation could spin out of control, Congress leader Satish Jarakiholi and JD(S) leader, K. Annadani intervened and separated them. Meanwhile, reacting to this, the minister asserted that he was pained by Prakash's behaviour as he had used very derogatory remarks against him in public. "It was a simple matter involving the transfer of a person. I respectfully asked him to come to the office to resolve it. But he got angry for this and used derogatory remarks," he said.