Cong leaders lock horns in public

Bengaluru: High drama prevailed at a public function on Sunday when senior Congress leaders B Janardhana Poojary, BK Hariprasad and social welfare minister H Anjaneya, who shared the dais, locked horns instead of exchanging pleasantries.
The trio was together on the occasion of the Billava community function here. Launching an attack on Poojary, Anjaneya said: "You are an upright politician who calls a spade a spade.But it's unfortunate that people of Dakshina Kannada are not electing you as MP repeatedly. You could have also become the chief minister before Siddaramaiah, but for the criticism and statements you make against party leaders. You should avoid making such statements if you want to become an MP. This is my sincere advice as your loyalist."
Taking a jibe at Anjaneya for advising Poojary, Hariprasad, in his speech, shot back: "Poojary should be the way he is... Some think they can say anything when they are ministers. When Poojary was the Union finance minister, he ensured that no favours were done to his community. He is one of the few upright politicians we have in the country today."'
At this point, Anjaneya sensed trouble and left the place in a huff citing "emergency work." Hariprasad and two other ministers Ramalinga Reddy and Dinesh Gundu Rao followed him.
But Poojary did not miss the opportunity to take potshots at Anjenaya and chief minister Siddaramaiah when his turn came. "I guess Anjaneya had met the CM before coming here and told him that he would tell me all this in public. Today, Anjenaya is a minister because of me and I was very proud when became one. I was the one who backed him all these years. But here he tried to play against me. Anjaneya should know that I had opportunity of becoming the CM four times but I didn't pursue it," Poojary said, as there was pin-drop silence at the venue.