Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah slaps supporter in Bengaluru. Video

Former Karnataka CM and Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah on Friday slapped a supporter in the face, a video of which is making rounds on social media.

Published on: Mar 25, 2023, 12:19:02 IST

By Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Former Karnataka chief minister and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah has found himself in the middle of a controversy after a video of him slapping a supporter went viral. The senior Congress leader was reportedly irked by repeated questions from the supporter, who had come to meet him at his residence in Bengaluru on Friday.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. (@HateDetectors/Twitter)

The incident took place when Siddaramaiah was wading through a crowd of supporters and was asked about his ticket, some reports said. He can be seen slapping the supporter in the video, which has been shared on social media sites by multiple users.

There was uncertainty over where the Congress stalwart would contest from in the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, until the party put out its first list of 124 candidates on Saturday, placing Siddaramaiah in his home constituency Varuna, in Mysuru.

The former CM had announced in January that he will contest from Kolar, however, the Congress high command had asked him to drop his plan and fight from Varuna instead, as a survey report showed hostile situation for Siddaramaiah in Kolar. After this, a horde of his supporters had gathered outside his residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday, staging a protest and asking him to fight from Kolar.

Over this, Siddaramaiah said that his family had advised him to contest from the Varuna constituency, which is currently represented by his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah.

"My family has advised me to contest from the Varuna constituency in Mysuru in the upcoming assembly polls. I have asked the high command to clear Varuna. The family members also advised me to contest from one more constituency, I have left it to the high command," he told reporters in Chitradurga.

"Invitations have been received from 25 constituencies of the state to contest the elections. All those sides cannot compete. The family felt that it would be appropriate to contest in Varuna. I have informed the party to finalize the Varuna ticket. The decision is up to the high command," he added.

(With ANI inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!

Stay updated Bengaluru Weather Live and with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Bengaluru. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and more across India . Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.