A book on Karnataka's senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah was not released this afternoon after a court put a freeze on it following a petition by the party. Alleging that the book is meant to humiliate the leader, who is also a former Chief Minister, ahead of coming assembly elections, the party has also filed a complaint with the police.
The book -- an anthology of essays on the former Chief Minister -- is supported by the BJP, the Congress has alleged.
"Purposely to humiliate me ahead of the elections, they are bringing out a book. It is totally defamatory," Mr Siddaramaiah told reporters.
"Siddu Nijakanasugalu" was slated for release this evening at the Town Hall in Bengaluru. The posters ahead of the release show Mr Siddaramaiah on the cover, dressed as the 18th Century ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan -- a hate figure among some sections of the state's people.
"I don't know, everything is yellow for those with a jaundiced eye. Who wore the dress like Tipu and held a sword in their hand? It was Yediyurappa and Shobha Karandlaje. Who wrote the foreword for Sheikh Ali's book on Tipu, isn't it duality?" Mr Siddaramaiah said.
The BJP support to the book is seen as a retaliatory measure against the PayCM campaign of the Congress targeting Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The campaign took place in September last year, after allegations that leaders of the ruling BJP were extracting 40 per cent commission from builders, contractors and others. It triggered a huge political storm in the state and a number of Congress leaders were detained.
The court, where the Congress had filed a petition earlier today, put the release on hold, saying the book was published without the consent of Mr Siddaramaiah, which is mandatory in such cases.
The matter will be heard next on February 9.
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