A few weeks back, the Kannada film ‘Headbush’ hit the big screens across Karnataka. Set in 1970s Bengaluru, it follows the entry of gangsters into politics. This led to the meteoric rise of feared gangster Jayaraj under the tutelage of the then chief minister D Devaraj Urs, a power struggle with his rivals, R Gundurao and FM Khan, who came alive on the silver screen. It also raised controversy over the depiction of ‘Karaga’, a religious ceremony, the ancient festival of Bengaluru.
Right-wing BJP supporters accused the Congress of encouraging and supporting the miscreants. He even went against state Congress president DK Shivakumar, who described him as a product of dreaded gangster Kotwal Ramachandra in the 1980s.
Little did he know that a month later the same would happen to him.
The state BJP leadership turned red last week after its top leaders shared the stage with a dreaded criminal, ‘Silent’ Sunil.
Known as ‘Silent’ Sunil in rowdy and police circles, Sunil faces several criminal charges including murder, extortion and kidnapping. The police raided his house on November 23, but he was on the run.
Four days later, he was seen with Bengaluru BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, PC Mohan and MLA Uday Garudachar at a blood donation camp in the city. According to police sources, they had gone there to interrogate him, found him with senior BJP leaders and returned.
Some say that he left with Udaya Garudachar in his car after the ceremony.
Two days later, when the media reported the incident, there was an uproar.
‘Khamosh’ Sunil spoke to this reporter over telephone and confirmed that he has decided to contest the upcoming assembly elections from Chamarajpet in the city. The seat is currently held by Congress MLA and former minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.
“I am contesting in the coming assembly elections. I cannot say for sure that I will contest on BJP ticket. It will be decided soon,” said Sunil.
He has also stated that he is not currently facing any new criminal charges.
The main opposition Congress, interestingly led by DK Shivakumar, whom the BJP calls a product of Bengaluru’s rowdy culture of the 1980s, sought answers from the ruling party about sharing the dais with ‘silent’ Sunil.
The true color of BJP has come to the fore. They are openly colluding with criminals. It is like a holy river Ganga for criminals. Once he joins the BJP, he will be declared pure.
The top leadership of the BJP tried their best to defend the incident.
MLA Uday Garudachar calls Sunil a friend, but he does not know that he is also known as ‘Silent’ Sunil, a wanted gangster of the city.
Interestingly, the same MLA’s father BN Garudachar, a veteran IPS officer, was appointed as the Police Commissioner of Bengaluru in the late 1970s to wage war on gangsters. Garudchara, a non-politician, is still alive.
Home Minister Araga Gyanendra said he had no information about the incident. While Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the background of anyone wanting to join the party would be closely studied and that criminals were not welcome.
Higher Education, IT and BT Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan, a senior BJP MLA from Bengaluru went a step ahead in defending ‘Silent’ Sunil. He said that it is unfair to deny opportunity to someone who wants to return to the mainstream on the ground that he has committed some crimes once.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner CH Prathap Reddy is apparently incensed by the incident and has ordered the police to probe the matter.
According to insiders, ‘Silent’ Sunil is playing a vicious game. He hopes that joining the BJP will help him get out of the cases he is facing. He is also hoping that scared Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan will try to strike a deal with him.
Gangsters coming into politics or getting elected is not a new thing in Karnataka politics. They have been a permanent fixture since the 1980s.
Two MLAs from the city, Munirathna and Gopalaiah, who allegedly had links with miscreants in the past, are now cabinet ministers in the BJP government. Earlier, the Congress had RV Devaraj, accused of having links with gangsters, as an MLA from Chickpet in the city. Ravikant Patil, a notorious criminal of Bijapur district, was formerly an MLA from Indi.
Several gangsters, including Jayaraj, had political ambitions and had made unsuccessful attempts in the electoral arena in the past.
But the strong association with ‘Khamosh’ Sunil may trouble the BJP in the days to come.
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