From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 20: In a bid to contain the embarrassment to the ruling Congress party ahead of the coming assembly elections, Congress MLA from Shantinagar N A Harris tendered an apology in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday for his son, Mohammed Nalapad Harris, assaulting a youth at a restaurant in UB city in Bengaluru, who has since surrendered before the police and is in police custody since Monday.

Clarifying his stance on the issue, Harris, said: "I am pained by the incident of assaulting case involving my son. Circumstances sometimes not in our hands leads to such incidents. My apology to the House as well to the people and media persons."

Media persons covering arrest of Mohammed Nalapad Haris on Monday were attacked by supporters of Nalapad Haris and some camermen were injured in the melee.

Though the incident should not have occurred, it has blown out of proportion in the media since elections are nearing in the State, the Congress MLA said.

"The law will take its own course of action and I will not interfere in the matter,’’ the MLA said after a reply on the debate by Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

Nalapad, who was the Karnataka Youth Congress general secretary, was expelled from the party for six years.
Earlier, BJP Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar accused the State Government of supporting "Goonda Raj culture" in the state by not taking prevention actions.

Shettar said Congress legislator from Hungund Vijay Kashappanavar has been booked for assaulting two police constables at the upmarket Skye Bar and Pub located at the UB city in Bangalore in 2014.

Incidents are repeating in the same building, he claimed.

The Home Minister rebutted Shettar’s allegations and said one cannot describe the State as "Goonda Raj" just because of one or two incidents.

The crime rate in the state was much lower compared to the previous BJP government in the State or the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, he said.