Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah found himself in the middle of a fresh controversy as he appeared to raise his hand to slap a senior police officer, upset over disruptions at a Congress rally in Belagavi allegedly caused by BJP workers.
The chief minister has already been in the headlines for the past two days over his comments on the Pahalgam terror attack, and the latest incident gave fresh ammunition to the BJP which alleged he was “drunk on power” and crossing limits with his words and actions.
The Congress however alleged that the BJP “conspired” to disrupt their ‘Samvidhan Bachao & Anti-Price Rise Rally’ in Belagavi by sending “some of its workers” and displaying black flags. The ruling Congress organised the rally Monday to protest the rising prices of essential commodities under the Modi government.
In a short video clip, also shared on X by state BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra, Siddaramaiah is purportedly seen referring to senior police officers in a singular tone.
“Hey come here…who is the SP (Superintendent of Police)?. What are you doing?” Siddaramaiah is heard saying. As the additional SP of the district rushed towards the CM and leaned forward, Siddaramaiah gestured in a manner that suggested he intended to slap the officer, who quickly moved back.
CM @siddaramaiah’s public outburst against senior police officer comes as no surprise – after all, even the sacred Doors of Vidhana Soudha, the Temple of Democracy, have previously borne the brunt of his anger.
Its apparent now that our CM is deep under the influence of Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/KWRZZPCodo
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) April 28, 2025
Siddaramaiah is already facing criticism for his remark Saturday that there is no need for a war with Pakistan and the central government should strengthen the security system. “We are not in favour of war. There should be peace, people should have security, and the central government should take security measures….” he had said.
His party has distanced itself from the comments made by several of its leaders on the attacks, including the one made by Siddaramaiah. As the BJP slammed him and the Pakistani media played up his remarks, Siddaramaiah clarified Monday he did not say a complete no to war, but meant there should be war only if it is unavoidable as war is no solution.
The latest incident has further fueled the criticism against Siddarmaiah, who has now lost his temper on more than one public occasions.
The BJP, the principal opposition in Karnataka, said Tuesday Siddaramaiah was “drunk on power” and crossing the limits with his words and actions.
“A few months ago, Siddaramaiah exposed his uncivilised behavior by simply insulting an efficient District Collector at a meeting,” Vijayendra said in his long social media post.
He was referring to a January incident in which Siddaramaiah reprimanded Vijayanagara Deputy Commissioner M. S. Divakar for sitting on the dais next to prominent seers at a mass marriage event.
The BJP leader said Siddaramaiah was criticised also in 2019 for allegedly lashing out at a woman and snatching a microphone from her hand while she was making a complaint against him.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaih’s deputy D. K. Shivakumar slammed the BJP’s “stunt” of disrupting a Congress protest by sending their workers.
“The BJP has conspired to send some of its workers to protest at our event by displaying black flags. If they continue with such attempts, I would like to warn the BJP leaders that we would not allow the BJP to conduct any events in the state. I urge the BJP leaders to advise its party workers not to indulge in such activities, else we are ready to launch a counter fight,” Shivakumar said in Belagavi.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also read: With Chamarajanagar Cabinet meet, Siddaramaiah treads where few other Karnataka CMs have dared to go
