Four state ministers were barred at the gates of the Mysore Palace during the sacred Nandidhwaja Pooja ceremony — and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is calling it indefensible. In a strongly-worded statement posted on Thursday, October 22, 2026, the Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka announced that police officials who blocked the ministers' entry have been referred for a full inquiry.

What happened at the Mysore Palace ceremony

During the Nandidhwaja Pooja held within the Mysore Palace complex, police officers refused to allow ministers Shivaraj Thangadagi, K.S. Basavantappa, P.M. Narendra Swamy, and H.C. Balakrishna to enter the prayer precinct. The situation was resolved only after direct intervention allowed the ministers to finally access the venue — but the incident had already escalated to the Chief Minister's desk.

CM Shivakumar's statement did not mince words. He described the officials' conduct as 'condemnable arrogance' (ಉದ್ಧಟತನ) and said he viewed the episode with utmost seriousness. 'Every official has the responsibility to maintain discipline, restraint, and respect for elected representatives in the discharge of their duties,' he stated.

Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh directed to lead the inquiry

Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has been formally directed to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident and submit a report identifying the responsible officers. The directive signals that the government intends this to be a structured administrative proceeding, not a quiet internal note.

CM Shivakumar made clear that once the inquiry report is received, action will be taken against the guilty officials 'as per the rules.' His statement closed with a blunt warning: 'The government will not tolerate any insolence or arrogance in the name of authority.'

Protocol, power, and the elected-official-vs-official fault line

Incidents like this sit at one of the oldest fault lines in Indian state administration — the tension between elected representatives who assert primacy and security or administrative officials managing access at heritage and ceremonial sites. The Mysore Palace, one of India's most visited and symbolically weighted landmarks, is managed under state oversight, making the protocol question sharper here than at most venues.

Chief ministers stepping in publicly to rebuke officials for restricting ministers is not unprecedented across Indian states. What gives this episode additional weight is the setting: a formal religious ceremony inside a heritage palace, with four cabinet-rank ministers simultaneously denied entry. The scale of the incident — not a single oversight but a pattern on the day — is precisely what pushed it from an internal complaint to a public directive with a named inquiry officer.

When Chief Secretary Rajneesh submits her report, the names, ranks, and chain-of-command decisions behind the blockade will come into focus. What follows will test whether the government's zero-tolerance language translates into actual disciplinary consequence.