The Janata Dal (Secular) on Thursday, 22 October 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Karnataka government after a police officer allegedly barred three Dalit ministers from participating in the Nandi Dhwaja puja during the Jamboo Savari procession at Mysuru Palace on 21 October. The JD(S) accused the Congress-led state administration of insulting its own Dalit ministers and questioned its professed commitment to social justice and the ideals of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

What Allegedly Happened at Mysuru Palace

Superintendent of Police C.B. Rishyanth, deployed for security during the Mysuru Dasara celebrations, reportedly prevented ministers Shivaraj Tangadgi, P.M. Narendra Swamy, and K.S. Basavanthappa from entering the venue for the ritual. The three ministers were accompanying Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar when the incident took place. According to the Chief Minister himself, he personally intervened to facilitate the ministers' entry after the officers had already turned them back.

'I personally intervened immediately and facilitated the ministers' entry. However, the officers' high-handed behaviour cannot be tolerated,' CM Shivakumar said, adding that he had ordered an inquiry into the matter.

CM Orders Inquiry, Calls Behaviour 'Arrogant'

Chief Minister Shivakumar on Thursday directed Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to investigate the incident and submit a report. He described the conduct of the police officers as 'arrogant' and said accountability would be fixed. The inquiry was ordered within hours of the opposition's public attack, signalling that the political pressure had landed.

JD(S) Attack: 'Vote Bank Politics and Humiliation'

The JD(S), a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally in Karnataka whose state president is Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, issued a statement on social media accusing the Congress of treating Dalits as a vote bank during elections and humiliating them once in power. 'This is the royal treatment Dalit ministers receive in the Congress. Using Dalits merely as a vote bank and humiliating them when in power is the culture of the Congress,' the party alleged.

The party directed pointed questions at CM Shivakumar, asking why the ministers who accompanied him were not escorted to the dais. 'If ministers themselves are subjected to such treatment, what would be the plight of ordinary people under your administration? Is this your social justice? Is this your Ambedkarite ideology? Is this your faith in the Constitution written by him?' the JD(S) said.

Historical Allegations and Challenge to Dalit Ministers

The JD(S) also invoked Dr. Ambedkar's political history, alleging that the Congress had insulted him and defeated him in elections on four occasions. The party claimed the same approach was being perpetuated nearly 75 years later. It urged all Dalit ministers in the state Cabinet to condemn the Chief Minister's conduct and that of the officials involved. In a direct challenge, the party said that continuing to serve under a leader whose actions had allegedly undermined their self-respect would itself be an act of humiliation, and demanded that the ministers consider resigning if their dignity had been compromised.

Spotlight on Home Minister Priyank Kharge

The JD(S) also targeted State Home Minister Priyank Kharge — son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and himself a prominent Dalit political figure — demanding that he respond to the alleged misconduct by officers under his department. 'You speak loudly on issues that suit you. Speak up on this matter as well,' the party said. The opposition's targeting of Kharge adds a further layer of political sensitivity to the controversy. The incident, unfolding against the backdrop of one of Karnataka's most prominent cultural celebrations, is likely to reverberate through state politics in the weeks ahead.