Congress suspends MLA Roshan Baig for criticising former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Congress party on Tuesday suspended five-time MLA from Karnataka’s Shivajinagar constituency Roshan Baig for criticising former chief minister Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao.

In a press statement, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee said, "All India Congress Committee has approved the proposal sent by KPCC to take action against R Roshan Baig, MLA on account of his anti-party activities. He has been suspended from the party with immediate effect."

The move comes hours after KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao had told media that he had sought action against Roshan Baig for his outburst against the state leadership.  

Previously, commenting on the exit polls that projected the Congress performing poorly in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha elections, Baig had slammed his own party leaders and demanded the resignation of Siddaramaiah, KC Venugopal and Dinesh Gundu Rao on the immediate basis.

Lambasting Siddaramaiah, the five-time MLA had called him a person who thinks of himself as the greatest CLP leader. Baig had further criticised Siddaramaiah’s idea of trying to create a divide between Lingayats and Veerashaivas.   

Taking a dig at KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Roshan Baig had said, Rao is a flop. Congress needs 90% of the minority to vote, but don't want them during publicity campaigns. Minorities are just used as vote bank.”  

"The situations in Karnataka is such that there is only one ticket for Muslims now, compared to tickets for three seats earlier. Not a single Christian, and only one Muslim has been given a ticket and we have been ignored," he had said.

Expressing his disappointment over not getting ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections, Baig said, "Of course, I am a human being. Why shouldn't I be disappointed? Am I a bonded labourer?”

Baig had further called KC Venugopal a ‘buffoon’.