On camera: Karnataka minister slaps woman; 'Sack immediately,' demands Congress

The Congress asked Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai whether he will dismiss infrastructure development minister V Somanna after the video of his slapping a woman went viral. “Where is our PM?” Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala asked.

Karnataka minister V Somanna has been caught on camera slapping a woman at an event where he was distributing land titles. Amid outrage and backlash over the incident, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai sought an explanation from the minister. The woman reportedly confronted the minister at the event following which the minister slapped her. In the purported video now going viral, a few women security personnel can be seen, while many men also intervened after the minister slapped the woman.

A purported video of Karnataka minister V Somanna slapping a woman at an event is going viral.

The Congress condemned the incident and asked chief minister Basavaraj Bommai whether the minister will be dismissed. V Somanna is the minister of infrastructure development. It has been alleged that the beneficiaries for the distribution of the title deeds were not appropriately selected and that was the reason for the altercation.

After being slapped, as seen in the video, the woman touched the minister's feet. The minister is learnt to have apologised for his behaviour, while the woman too later claimed that the minister promised her help.

Calling out the ‘arrogance’ of the BJP ministers and leaders in Karnataka, Congress's Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "On one hand, people suffer the huge brunt of 40 percent commission and on the other, women get slapped by ministers drunk with power. Where is our PM? Will you dismiss the minister, Mr Bommai."

The only crime of the woman was she went to the minister with her complaint, the Congress said on its official Twitter handle, sharing the video of the incident.

"What a difference from the way @RahulGandhi began the Karnataka leg of #BharatJodoYatra from the very same Gundlupet on 30th September! This shameless man should be sacked immediately!" Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shared the video and said the minister is likely to give an explanation that it was not a slap on the face but "blessings on the cheek". "@MinistryWCD mute, @NCWIndia silent. Nothing to see here, no action to expect," the MP wrote.

The incident comes as the Congress ends the Karnataka leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and enters Telangana. Karnataka was the first BJP-ruled state in the yatra and the party claimed to have received a warm response from the public during their stay.