BELAGAVI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lost his temper and raised his hand to slap a senior police officer while he was addressing a Congress rally against the Centre's policies in Belagavi on Monday.
The CM lost his temper when a group of BJP women activists stormed the venue, shouting slogans against him and the Congress party while waving black flags during his rally speech.
After BJP activists disrupted his speech, causing confusion and a brief halt to the event, an angry Siddaramaiah asked, “Who is the SP of Belagavi and why did he allow BJP workers into a Congress rally?”
He called Dharwad's Additional Superintendent of Police, Narayan Baramani, who was on duty at the spot, to come to the stage and raised his hand as if to slap him.
Baramani, in charge of security at the event’s main stage, was caught off-guard when the CM lost his temper and stepped back as the CM raised his hand at him.
Later, speaking to TNIE, Baramani said he was assigned to manage the stage and was unaware of the situation in the crowd, where a group of BJP activists raised slogans against the CM.
Several pro-BJP activists and leaders questioned Siddaramaiah's anger towards a senior police officer on a public stage, calling it unfair for the CM to behave in such a manner. Some netizens also criticised the CM on social media for his conduct.
BJP activists taken into custody
The police detained the women protesters and escorted them out of the venue. The situation escalated outside when Congress workers surrounded the police vehicles carrying the detained BJP activists.
A heated argument broke out between the Congress workers and the police, leading to further delays. To disperse the crowd and ensure the safe movement of the detainees, the police had to resort to a lathi charge.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, and other leaders reportedly expressed their displeasure over the security lapse. Senior police officials at the venue faced sharp criticism from Congress leaders for failing to prevent the breach.
Despite the disruption, the convention resumed after a brief interruption, with Congress leaders reaffirming their commitment to protecting the Constitution and criticising the central government's handling of inflation and public issues.