Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday lost his cool and gestured angrily at a police officer on the stage, after a group of women — allegedly Bharatiya Janata Party workers — tried to disrupt his speech during a protest rally here.
The women who were among the crowd waved a black flag and raised slogans, Congress and official sources said.
Visibly upset, Siddaramaiah, summoned an Assistant Superintendent of Police rank — police officer onto the stage.
Addressing him sternly, the CM said, "Come here, who is the SP? What are you doing?" The CM was seen raising his hand at the officer out of frustration, but withdrew it immediately, and then instructed him to remove those creating disturbance.
Despite efforts by AICC general secretary Raneeep Singh Surjewala and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil to calm Siddaramaiah down, he expressed his anger.
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The CM was later seen questioning Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, who is from Belagavi.
Siddaramaiah was addressing the "Samvidhan Bachao and Anti Price Rise Rally" here, attended by a host of Congress leaders and ministers of his cabinet.
Resuming his speech, Siddaramaiah said, "BJP and RSS will try to disturb peace like this everywhere. They try to incite fire in the society. They try to divide the society. We will not fear such attempts by the BJP. We have the strength to face them publicly. I want to make this clear to them." "... I condemn the BJP on behalf of all the Congress workers for indulging in such disruptions. Don't you (BJP) feel ashamed?" Asserting that the Congress won't be cowed down by such things, Siddaramaiah said, "We will not stop our protest against the central government's price rise." Questioning the BJP's actions, he asked whether they are not ashamed to come to a Congress rally and try to disrupt it.
He then urged the gathering not to get distracted by the disrupters and continue with the protest.
IGP Northern Range Chetan Singh Rathore said, some women at the rally had shown a black flag and shouted slogans, causing disturbance there. An FIR has been registered and arrests have been made in this regard.
"Based on a complaint from Congress workers, a case has been registered for unlawful assembly and provocation to breach of public peace. Six have been arrested and are being produced before the court, and further inquiry is on," he told reporters, but did not wish to comment on CM losing cool on a police officer.
Later addressing reporters, state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar warned the BJP that if it continued with this behaviour, he wouldn't allow the party's meetings or programmes anywhere in the state.
"For the first time today, the BJP sent four of its workers. I don't know whether it was a corporator or a block president. They came with our card. They showed a black flag and shouted slogans and tried to disrupt. I want to tell all BJP and opposition party leaders, if this is your attitude, we won't allow even a single meeting or programme of yours in the entire state. This is the Congress party's pledge," he said.
"I would like to warn you (BJP)... If this attitude continues, people of the state and God have given me the strength to ensure similar action against you on a bigger scale than what you have done. This is a warning. Rectify within your party and among your workers, or else I won't allow your programmes anywhere. We are ready to counter it," Shivakumar added.
Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah, state BJP President BY Vijayendra alleged that it is apparent now that the CM is deeply under the influence of the "Pakistan model of Sharia Governance" and not the Gandhian principles that India proudly follows.
"With each act, Siddaramaiah appears more determined to qualify himself for the citizenship of Pakistan!" he said in a post on "X'.
Vijayendra further said that Siddaramaiah is a repeat offender when it comes to displaying arrogance and disdain for democratic norms, whether it was insulting innocent women voters from his own constituency who dared question his failures, or humiliating a District Commissioner on stage over trivial issues.
"When a senior police officer finds himself helpless and publicly intimidated by the highest elected official in the state, one must ask: What security and justice can the ordinary citizen expect under such incompetent governance?" Leader of Opposition R Ashoka told the CM that "officials are not your household servants. The executive has its own status in a democratic system. The state's reputation is being tarnished by your misbehavior and misconduct. Learn to give and take respect."
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