Vidwath

Bengaluru: In a major embarrassment for the ruling Congress, Mr Loganathan, father of Vidwath, who was brutally attacked by Congress MLA, N.A. Haris' son, Mohammed Nalapad at an upscale restaurant last week, reportedly rejected the 'reconciliation' offer made by none other than Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This development happened on Thursday night after the legislature session.

Realising that public sentiment on the issue could spoil the party's image, Mr Siddaramaiah and his team made an attempt to end the controversy ahead of AICC president Rahul Gandhi's visit to the state on Saturday. Mr Siddaramaiah invited Mr Loganathan to meet him and discuss the matter but Mr Loganathan reportedly rejected the offer.

The 'offer' was that the public prosecutor should not oppose the bail petition of Mohammed Nalapad, said sources. Mr Loganathan reportedly told Mr Siddaramaiah that he was not interested in giving a political twist to the case. Sources said he was not keen on joining hands with any political party on the issue. He reportedly firmly told Mr Siddaramaiah that he would not compromise on his son's future including fighting the case.

No sooner had the doors closed on the reconciliation effort, Shanthi Nagar MLA, N.A. Haris rushed to Mallya Hospital to personally meet Mr Loganathan who, after exchanging pleasantries, left without providing any scope for negotiation.