CM Siddaramaiah 'threatens' to hit cop during Congress rally

BELAGAVI : Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah was accused Monday of threatening to hit a police officer during Congress's Samvidhan Bachao rally at Belagavi's CPED Ground, moments after a purported security breach saw a group of women BJP workers get on the dais.

As the intruders waved black flags and shouted slogans, Siddaramaiah motioned a uniformed officer towards him and demanded to know, "Who is the SP? What are you doing?"

The CM, who sources said was "quite agitated", briefly appeared to raise his hand before withdrawing. He ordered the officer to immediately remove the protesters from the dais. AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil were both seen trying to calm the CM, but Siddaramaiah allegedly pressed on, asking for additional SP Narayan Baramani . The protesting women were subsequently taken into custody.

BJP functionary Shilpa Kekre, among those who had stormed the stage, shouted "Go to Pakistan", a reference to Siddaramaiah's alleged comments in Mysuru last week, where he said there was no need to go to war against Pakistan over the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in J&K's Pahalgam. The CM said the Union govt should instead beef up security in Kashmir. When his remarks triggered a political row, Siddaramaiah backtracked, insisting his comments had been "twisted" by BJP.