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The incident took place at the ‘Save Constitution’ convention where CM Siddaramaiah was scheduled to address the gathering.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah nearly slaps police officer, reprimands ASP during Belagavi rally amid BJP protest. (X)
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ignited a row after he was seen publicly castigating and nearly slapping a senior police official on stage at a public event in Belagavi on Monday.
The incident took place at the ‘Save Constitution’ convention where CM Siddaramaiah was scheduled to address the gathering. Meanwhile, some BJP women workers arrived at the venue with black scarves, protesting against Siddaramaiah.
#WATCH | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah angrily calls a Police officer on stage during Congress’ protest rally in Belagavi and gestures raising his hand at him.During the CM’s address here, a few women, who are reportedly BJP activists, indulged in sloganeering… pic.twitter.com/qtC6hL9UYT
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025
In a show of frustration, he called Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Narayan Bharamani who was deployed for stage security, and rebuked him for the breach, and was seen raising his hand in an attempt to slap him.
“You, whoever you are, come here, what were you doing?” he asked and raised his hand to slap the officer, but stopped shortly at doing so.
Meanwhile, the opposition JDS accused the Chief Minister of arrogance and misconduct. The party criticised Siddaramaiah for raising his hand against the police officer in a public setting.
Describing the act as disrespectful, the party said that such behavior, including speaking in singular terms, was “an unforgivable crime.”
“Your term of power is only 5 years. But a government officer serves up to 60 years of age. Power is not permanent for anyone. Correct your misconduct,” it said in a post on X.
,@siddaramaiah ನಿಮಗೆ ಅಧಿಕಾರದ ದರ್ಪ ತಲೆಗೇರಿದೆ.ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ವರಿಷ್ಠಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗೆ ಹೊಡೆಯಲು ಕೈ ಎತ್ತುವುದು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ, ಘನತೆಗೆ ಕಿಂಚಿತ್ತೂ ಶೋಭೆ ತರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ನೀವು, ಬೀದಿ ರೌಡಿಯಂತೆ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ವೇದಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಏಕವಚನ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿ, ಎಸ್ಪಿ (SP)ಗೆ ಹೊಡೆಯಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸಿದ್ದು ಅಕ್ಷಮ್ಯ… pic.twitter.com/GXeZbtk73t
— Janata Dal Secular (@JanataDal_S) April 28, 2025
Union Minister and BJP leader Pralhad Joshi also condemned the act.
“The Congress government has not only excelled in misgovernance but has also surpassed all limits in arrogance. In the intoxication of power, the Chief Minister has the audacity to raise a hand against a dutiful officer… Pretending to protect the Constitution while raising hands against the guardians of the law is an act of extreme behavior and arrogance. This is condemnable….” he said.
“Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah during a rally in Belagavi tried to slap a police officer. I condemn it, and what kind of message does the Chief Minister want to give by doing this? Various leaders of the BJP Mahila Morcha also staged a protest against the Chief Minister. In a democracy, every person has the right to stage a protest…Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah is famous in Pakistan as he speaks well of Pakistan,” Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje was quoted by news agency ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)
