DK Shivakumar slaps Congress worker, BJP calls him rowdy

Bengaluru: A video of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar slapping a party worker who tried to put a hand on his shoulder went viral on social media and invited flak from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which described him as 'rowdy'. The incident happened in K. M. Doddi village in Mandya district when the State Congress chief paid a visit to ailing senior politician and former minister G. Madegowda.

An unidentified party worker came up to Shivakumar and tried to place his hand on the leader's shoulder when Shivakumar angrily snapped back at him and slapped him. It was recorded Shivakumar questioning the party worker's behaviour. "I have given you freedom but that doesn't mean you do this,". Realising that his reaction was caught on camera, the KPCC chief warned the media persons to delete the video. Reacting to this, the Karnataka BJP tweeted with the hashtag #RowdyDKS. "The President of a national party it is unforgivable to publicly assault a man." "If D K Shivakumar can attack a party worker for having come close to him, what will happen to commoners? Are you trying to become the brand ambassador of hit-and-slap politics?," the tweet added.

The incident became the talk of the town as fissures between the State Congress president and his colleague and former CM Siddaramaiah are said to be widening over chief ministerial aspirations. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are being projected as potential chief ministerial candidates of the Congress in the next Assembly elections in 2023 by their respective supporters.

"Karnataka Congress President @DKShivakumar slaps his party worker in full public view. If this is how the "former shishya" of Kotwal Ramachandra treats his party worker, one can imagine what he would do with others. Have you given DKS the "licence for violence," BJP leader and national general secretary CT Ravi said in his tweet.

The party's national high command had recently issued an appeal to its leaders to not discuss the CM candidate from the state ahead of the elections followed by the Congress Discipline committee meeting. This came after a few leaders backed Siddaramaiah and others rallied behind Shivakumar. This is not the first time that DK Shivakumar was seen attacking common party workers in public. In 2018, during a Congress election campaign in Bellary, DK Shivakumar had slapped another man who wanted to take a selfie with him. Similarly, in 2017 in Belgaum, DK Shivakumar had slammed a man on his arm for taking a selfie. The incident took place in front of the reporters. The Congress leader had defended the attack saying the selfie was uncalled for and termed his reaction as normal.