Siddaramaiah in Soup for Angry Gesture Against Senior COP

Belagavi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday courted controversy after he was seen angrily gesturing at a senior police officer during a program in Belagavi, triggering sharp criticism from the opposition BJP, which accused him of "intolerance" and "abuse of power" and attempting to slap the police officer.

The incident occurred during the Congress party’s "Samvidhan Bachao" rally, and program organized to protest against the alleged failures of the Central government.

As Siddaramaiah was addressing the gathering, BJP Mahila Morcha activists staged a black flag protest nearby, raising slogans against the Chief Minister over his remarks concerning tensions with Pakistan. Police personnel swiftly removed the protesters from the venue.

An irate Siddaramaiah, from the dais, summoned the Additional Superintendent of Police, questioning the officer's handling of the situation.

Calling Additional SP Narayan Bharamani, who was near the dias, towards him, Siddaramaiah said, “Come here.” He then asked, “Who is the SP here? What are you doing?” As the Additional SP attempted to respond, Siddaramaiah was seen raising his hand in an animated gesture, prompting the officer to step back.

BJP leaders alleged that Siddaramaiah attempted to physically assault the officer.

"Patriotic women today bravely raised slogans and expressed their protest against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the Congress convention in Belagavi, condemning him for speaking with sympathy towards Pakistan and making remarks that seek to create divisions within the unity of Akhand Bharat. Disturbed by this protest, the Chief Minister, addressing the Additional Superintendent of Police in a disrespectful singular tone and behaving aggressively out of frustration, attempted to raise his hand — an act that amounts to hooliganism and demeans the dignity of the Chief Minister’s office," State BJP president BY Vijayendra posted on X.

“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? The Chief Minister’s conduct is inexcusable and must be subjected to the same legal scrutiny and consequences that any ordinary citizen would face, especially for threatening a government officer. No special privileges or political shields should be tolerated. This disgraceful incident mirrors the colonial-era mentality, where officials were treated like personal servants - a mindset that must be rejected and condemned unequivocally in any modern democracy,” he said.

He said CM Siddaramaiah’s public outburst against a senior police officer comes as no surprise.

"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 model of Sharia Governance & 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.

Vijayendra alleged that Siddaramaiah is a "repeat offender" when it comes to displaying arrogance and disdain for democratic norms — citing instances such as insulting women voters from his own constituency who questioned his performance, and publicly humiliating a District Commissioner over trivial matters. He further claimed that the abuse of constitutional authority and contempt for democratic institutions appeared almost instinctive to the Congress party, which, he said, has a history of imposing the "draconian Emergency" on the country.

Meanwhile, BJP Mahila Morcha State President Manjula condemned Siddaramaiah’s response to the protest. She said the Mahila Morcha activists were peacefully opposing the Chief Minister’s "insensitive" remarks on the killing of 26 Indian tourists in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists. "A leader who cannot tolerate peaceful dissent and resorts to intimidating officers reflects a mindset dangerous to democracy," she said.

Manjula further alleged that the Siddaramaiah government was "misusing the police machinery" to file "politically motivated" FIRs against both ruling and opposition legislators who dared to question the government.