Did K’taka Police Become Siddaramaiah’s 'Private Militia'?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Amit Malviya condemns Siddaramaiah's behavior.
- Police are a professional entity, not a political tool.
- Political leaders must respect law enforcement.
- Public reactions indicate rising tensions.
- Need for accountability among leaders.
Bengaluru, April 28 (NationPress) Amit Malviya, the BJP's National Information and Technology Department head, has criticized Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for attempting to strike a police officer during a Congress rally, asserting that the state police force is not the CM's personal militia.
“The Karnataka Police represents a professional force, not Siddaramaiah’s personal militia. How could he dare raise his hand against a uniformed officer? He must be condemned for overstepping his authority as Chief Minister and should formally apologize to the officer involved. This is truly shameful,” Malviya remarked on X.
Previously, Siddaramaiah lost his temper and attempted to strike an Additional SP in front of party supporters after his speech at a Congress convention in Belagavi was disrupted by BJP women workers, who reacted to his comments regarding ‘no need for war with Pakistan’.
Karnataka’s BJP state president, B.Y. Vijayendra, labeled Siddaramaiah's actions as “goonda-like behavior.”
BJP spokesperson Ashwathnarayan also denounced the Chief Minister for his behavior towards the Additional SP at a public event in Belagavi, describing it as an “unfortunate incident.”
He claimed that a climate has developed where “goons” are “harassing” and attacking police personnel, and such occurrences are likely to persist.
He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of setting a precedent for these actions by attempting to publicly assault the Additional Superintendent of Police.
Ashwathnarayan also responded to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s threats against BJP leaders regarding public gatherings, asserting they would not be intimidated by such “goonda-like threats.”
He stressed that their party members had fought in areas like Jammu and Kashmir and were not afraid of intimidation tactics.
Ashwathnarayan challenged Shivakumar to first prevent them from gathering in Kanakapura, the Deputy Chief Minister’s hometown.
Earlier, BJP women workers interrupted Siddaramaiah's speech during a Congress protest meeting in Belagavi against the Union government’s alleged price increases, anti-people policies, and anti-national governance.
While Siddaramaiah was speaking, BJP women activists began shouting slogans against him, criticizing his statement that ‘India should not engage in war with Pakistan’.