Karnataka Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah slapped one of his aides on Wednesday, 4 September, outside Mysore airport.
The incident was caught on camera, which shows the Congress leader slapping a man before pushing him.
Siddaramaiah, who is currently on a visit to Mysore and Kodagu to survey the post-flood situation, responded that Nadanahalli Ravi was “like his son” and it was a case of expressing “dissatisfaction out of concern.” He also added that the incident was blown out of proportion.
Siddaramaiah’s office later said the man he slapped had tried to push a phone to the former chief minister’s ear, asking him to talk to an official to make recommendations. This infuriated the former chief minister and he slapped his aide.
However, this is not the first row involving Siddaramaiah directly. In 2016, he courted controversy after a video of him beating an alleged civic official went viral.
He, however, rejected the reports and said he had not slapped any official and that media was carrying out “false” propaganda against him.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)