The issue erupted after Rajiv Gowda allegedly threatened Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda over the removal of a banner that he had put up in Chikkaballapur.
Published Jan 16, 2026 | 1:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 16, 2026 | 2:41 PM
Rajiv Gowda.
Synopsis: The Karnataka Congress issued a show-cause notice to party leader Rajiv Gowda after allegations of verbal abuse directed towards Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda came to the fore.
The Karnataka Congress issued a show-cause notice to party leader Rajiv Gowda after allegations of verbal abuse directed towards Chikkaballapur Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda came to the fore, sources said on Friday, 16 January.
The notice stated that Gowda’s actions had caused embarrassment to the party. It sought an explanation from him within a week and warned of disciplinary action against him in case of not acting on the direction.
The issue erupted after Rajiv Gowda allegedly threatened Municipal Commissioner Amrutha Gowda over the removal of a banner that he had put up in Chikkaballapur. The banner was promoting the Kannada film Cult, starring Zaid Khan, son of Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.
In the purported audio clip of a conversation between the two that had gone viral on social media, the commissioner tried to explain to him that the banner had drawn complaints from citizens and was removed from the busy circle, as it was causing accidents.
Rajiv Gowda was purportedly heard saying, “If my banner is removed, then I would come and set things on fire.”
The commissioner also pointed out that no permission was taken to place the banner. Rajiv Gowda has denied the allegation, claiming that he had obtained all the permissions. He also denied using derogatory words or abuses. He later publicly apologised to the commissioner, stating that Amrutha was like his ‘sister’.
The Shidlaghatta town police also booked Rajiv Gowda on the charges of threatening a public servant and provoking breach of peace, criminal intimidation and criminal force to deter a public servant under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint lodged by Amrutha Gowda on Wednesday.
Gowda had unsuccessfully contested the 2023 assembly elections on the Congress ticket.
(With inputs from Anisha Reddy.)
