As reported in the NDTV, on Saturday, Bhat had published a source-based article in his newspaper on an alleged heated conversation between Nikhil Kumaraswamy and his grandfather, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda which allegedly took place on Friday at a hotel in Mysuru.
According to Bhat’s article, Nikhil had a meltdown after he lost the Mandya seat, prestigious for the Gowda family and their party Janata Dal (Secular), to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, a woman. The article further alleges that Nikhil was unhappy that his cousin, Prajwal Revanna, was fielded from Hassan and that he won. Further, it says that his family party had not done enough to ensure his victory at the beginning of his political career.
General secretary of the legal cell, JD(S), Pradeep Kumar, filed a FIR against Bhat for defamation, forgery and cheating. According to the complaint, Bhat’s article has tarnished the image of a young politician merely for extracting money.
Speaking to ANI, Bhat said, “I will seek legal remedies. I have not taken anticipatory bail for the case because I am 100% convinced that I have not committed any crime. Let them arrest me if they want to.”
He further added that it is not possible to control the media in the digital age, saying, “It is a dangerous trend for democracy and you cannot control the media as social media is so active these days.”
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