By Kavita Mistry 
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah nearly slapped Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Narayan Bharamani during a public rally in Belagavi today. The incident occurred due to disruption at the venue where Siddaramaiah was scheduled to make a public address. Bharamani had been deployed for stage security and BJP women workers were protesting nearby.
In a show of frustration, Siddaramaiah raised his hand while addressing the officer, publicly reprimanding him. ASP Bharamani was called to the stage by the Chief Minister, who addressed the situation directly.
“You, whoever you are, come here, what were you doing?” he asked and raised his hand to slap the officer, but stopped shortly at doing so.
The confrontation unfolded following a protest by BJP women workers near the venue.
Following the incident, the JDS, in a post on X, accused Siddaramaiah of arrogance and misconduct. The party criticised the Chief Minister for raising his hand against the police officer in a public setting.
The post described the act as disrespectful, stating that such behavior, including speaking in singular terms, was “an unforgivable crime.”
“Your term of power is only 5 years. But a government officer serves up to 60 years of age. Power is not permanent for anyone. Correct your misconduct,” read the post.