Debunking reports of an attempted suicide, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's aide NR Santhosh on Monday said that he "never attempted" suicide, but had consumed sleeping pills "by mistake" due to which he fell unconscious. He also said that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar has lost his "mental balance" after his past sins started tumbling out.
On Friday, Santhosh was admitted to the hospital by his wife Jhanavi who had claimed that he had consumed nearly a dozen sleeping pills and attempted to commit suicide. On the same day, Chief Minister Yediyurappa, after visiting him in the hospital, too had said that "we don't know why he took such an extreme step, but anyway, he is out of danger now".
Speaking to reporters after he was discharged from the hospital here, Santhosh said that on Friday he had attended a marriage ceremony and due to acidity, he took some medicines which happened to be the "wrong ones". "I do take sleeping tablets occasionally, that too half a tablet and not more than that," he said in response to a question.
Countering the media, Santhosh said, "What is there for me to commit suicide? Why will I commit suicide?"
Responding to a question, Santhosh said that if one chooses politics as his career, he or she will always be under tremendous pressure. "That cannot be the reason. In my case, it was never a reason. I am not the person who will try to commit suicide. I take everything as it comes to me," he said.
When his attention was drawn towards Shivakumar's statement about demanding high-level probe into his suicide attempt, Santhosh said that Shivakumar seems to have lost 'mental balance' as his past sins are catching up with him. "He is often seen blabbering irrationally. I have sympathies for him and I request his party leaders to take him to the hospital as soon as possible," he said.
After admitting Santosh to the hospital, his wife Jhanavi had claimed on Friday as well as on Saturday that her husband had consumed nearly a dozen sleeping pills and she had also said that theirs was a happy family. "He was under pressure due to the ongoing political crisis," she had said, but had refused to elaborate.
Even the doctors who treated him had said that he had come to the hospital in a drowsy state and was being treated for it.