Mandya: An MLA reportedly manhandled an executive engineer of Irrigation department and also threatened to set the latter’s office on fire if he did not heed to the demands of releasing water to the canals.
JD(S) MLA from K R Pet K C Narayan Gowda reportedly assaulted Narayan, an executive engineer at the Irrigation Department, Hemavathi Irrigation Division on Wednesday.
It is said that MLA dragged the engineer out of his office during a protest outside the Irrigation Office demanding the release of Hemavati waters to save standing crops that were withering across large areas in K.R. Pet taluk.
When the MLA abruptly abused the engineer, his supporters cheered and shouted and when the officer tried to explain the water situation, the MLA snatched the files away.
Some police constables witnessed the alleged incident. However, they were mute spectators, officials from the Irrigation Department alleged.
Meanwhile, the JD(S) has billed it off as a ‘small incident’.
