Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is once again under fire, this time for a public outburst that has led to the resignation of a senior police officer’s refusal to withdraw resignation and widened fissures within the ruling Congress party. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Narayana Baramani resigned after the Chief Minister, visibly enraged by black flag protests at a Congress rally in Belagavi, nearly slapped him on stage in full public view. Despite Siddaramaiah’s personal appeal, the officer has refused to withdraw his resignation, citing humiliation. At the rally, reportedly disrupted by BJP workers waving black flags, Siddaramaiah summoned Baramani and berated him loudly on stage. “Hey, come here! Who’s the SP? What are you doing?” he shouted, before raising his hand in a slap-like motion caught on camera and now widely shared on social media. The officer, stunned, stepped back, and has since confirmed to colleagues that he felt “deeply insulted in uniform.” The fallout was swift. Opposition parties slammed the Chief Minister for his “arrogance of power,” while civil servants across the state expressed alarm at the precedent.
A Pattern of Public Aggression
This is not Siddaramaiah’s first brush with controversy over his temper. In September 2019, the then-Leader of Opposition was seen on camera slapping and shoving aside an aide who attempted to hand him a phone at Mysuru airport. Though the CM later downplayed the moment as a “light-hearted” interaction, the video told a different story. Worse still was a 2019 public grievance meeting in Varuna, where Siddaramaiah grabbed the microphone from a woman party worker who had raised concerns about his son’s political conduct. In the scuffle, he inadvertently pulled her dupatta- a gesture that triggered outrage. Women’s rights activists and opposition leaders alike drew parallels to the Mahabharata’s Dushasana-Draupadi episode, accusing the veteran leader of humiliating a woman in public. Though Siddaramaiah claimed the incident was misconstrued, the damage to his image lingered. “He has a pattern,” said a political analyst in Bengaluru. “Whether it’s aides, police, journalists, or even women from his own party, Siddaramaiah often reacts with visible aggression when challenged or cornered. This pattern has raised questions not just about optics, but about his capacity to lead a diverse and democratic administration where dissent and accountability are essential.
Crisis Within Congress: Leadership Tensions Resurface
The fallout from the Belagavi incident has also resurfaced long-simmering tensions within the Congress party’s state leadership. After the party’s emphatic victory in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, the question of who would lead the government created friction at the top. While Siddaramaiah was ultimately chosen as Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar- the party’s Karnataka president and a strong contender in his own right was persuaded to settle for the roles of Deputy CM and state unit chief. At the time, insiders spoke of a rotational chief minister ship agreement, under which Shivakumar would assume the top post halfway through the five-year term. Although never officially confirmed by the party high command, the perception of a gentleman’s agreement has persisted. Now, with nearly half the term completed and the CM under renewed public scrutiny, the Shivakumar camp is growing restless. “This is not about personal ambition,” a Congress MLA told NDTV on condition of anonymity. “This is about honouring what was promised. DK Shivakumar has waited patiently now the high command must deliver. The Police officer’s refusal to back down has given further ammunition to those within the party who feel Siddaramaiah’s leadership style is increasingly becoming a liability. Congress insiders say Shivakumar loyalists see this moment as a tipping point, arguing that the CM’s behaviour not only alienates officials but risks alienating the public.
Silence from the Top, Unease at the Bottom
Despite the gravity of the incident, there has been no formal apology from Siddaramaiah or disciplinary response from the Congress leadership. The CM’s camp has tried to dismiss the confrontation as an emotional reaction to a perceived security lapse, but the optics- a uniformed officer being shouted at and nearly slapped by the state’s highest elected official amounting to resignation are hard to walk back. The incident has also triggered quiet discontent within the bureaucracy. Senior officers say that while pressure from politicians is nothing new, public humiliation of this nature is unacceptable. “There’s a reason no one wants to take bold calls anymore. If a top officer can be treated like this, imagine what it does to the morale of junior ranks,” a retired DGP said.
A Government at a Crossroads
Siddaramaiah’s stature as a mass leader is undisputed especially among OBCs, Dalits, and minorities. But the accumulation of such outbursts is beginning to chip away at the government’s credibility. With municipal elections on the horizon and murmurs of cabinet reshuffles in the air, the Congress now finds itself at a political crossroads. What started as a moment of anger has evolved into a full-blown crisis; one that touches on institutional integrity, internal party equations, and public trust. The question now isn’t just whether Siddaramaiah can hold his government together. It’s whether he can lead it with the dignity, restraint, and accountability that high office demands.
