A huge controversy has flared up in Karnataka after police booked the daughter of BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda for allegedly assaulting an on-duty woman sub-inspector during a temple dispute in Mandya district.
The clash happened during the busy Bhima Amavasya festival at the Maramma Temple in Ukkada, a village in Pandavapura taluk. With thousands of worshippers waiting in long lines since dawn, the legislator’s daughter, Aishwarya, arrived with her children and reportedly tried to cut past the general queue for direct entry into the sanctum.
When the police sub-inspector managing crowd flow, Savitha, stopped her and asked her to wait her turn like everyone else, tempers flared. Eyewitnesses and police reports note that Aishwarya brought up her father's political status and began arguing with the security staff. The spat turned physical within seconds, with Aishwarya allegedly hitting the sub-inspector on the head, shouting abuses, and threatening her in front of devotees.
Following a complaint filed by the officer, the Kyathanahalli police lodged an FIR against Aishwarya under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—specifically for assaulting a public servant, causing hurt, intentional insult, and criminal intimidation. Officers are currently pulling CCTV footage from the temple cameras and collecting statements from bystanders who saw the fight break out.
As backlash over VIP entitlement grew across social and political circles, Tumakuru Rural MLA Suresh Gowda issued a public apology for his daughter's conduct. He maintained that no one in his family is above the law, adding that the law should take its own course if she is found at fault.