DK Suresh slams Union Minister Kumaraswamy for backing MLA Munirathna, accused of casteist remarks

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 15 : Congress leader and former MP DK Suresh on Sunday questioned Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy for supporting BJP MLA Munirathna, who allegedly hurled casteist slurs on the Vokkaliga community and its women.
Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, he said, "Don't politicise the issue. Please clarify if your party's stand is the same as yours? How would you have reacted if a Congress leader had spoken like this?"
"Some leaders and the Leader of the Opposition are trying to give it a political hue. Is it right to do so when the evidence is so crystal clear. His slurs against women are unacceptable and so are his words against the Vokkaliga community," Suresh said.
When asked about R Ashoka's statement that the arrest of Munirathna was politically motivated, he said, "No one asked him to make such statements against women and a community. The police will investigate the case and the truth will come out."
Answering about Munirathna bringing out DK Suresh's name in a video released before the arrest, he said, "As you (the media) are aware, I don't get involved in things like these. I have stayed away from politics after the verdict of the people."
"We have left the cinema production and direction to BJP and JDS. They know that they can't come up in politics if they don't think of DK brothers. I have accepted the verdict of the people and will respond at an appropriate time," he said.
Earlier, Munirathna was taken into custody on Saturday night by Bengaluru police for allegedly threatening a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor.
Munirathna was produced before Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat last night in Yelahanka and sent to two days of police custody.
According to Kolar Superintendent of Police (SP) B Nikhil, Munirathna was taken into custody by Bengaluru police with the help of Kolar Police while he was travelling to Andhra Pradesh.
Police has registered two FIRs at the Vyalikaval police station against Munirathna. The cases stem from complaints lodged by contractor Chelvaraju, who has accused Munirathna of harassment and threats. The first case involves issuing a death threat, with four individuals named in the FIR including Munirathna, VG Kumar, Abhishek, Vasanth Kumar. The FIRs include charges under sections 37, 506, 505, 385, 420, and 323.
Chaluvaraju has alleged that Munirathna threatened him by saying, "What happened to Renukaswamy will happen to you." He claimed that the MLA had demanded a commission in connection with a contract. According to the contractor, he offered Rs 1 lakh, but Munirathna refused and insisted on the full amount.
The contractor further stated, "MLA Munirathna has threatened me to pay Rs 20 lakhs. If I don't pay, he said the same fate as Renukaswamy will happen to me." He also accused Munirathna's elder sister's son of being involved in the murder of Renukaswamy.
An audio clip had also gone viral, allegedly featuring Munirathna using abusive language and threatening a Dalit person, the contractor, and his wife.