Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday rejected allegations that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had pushed or humiliated him during the INDIA bloc's protest march to the Supreme Court, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading misinformation over a viral video from the demonstration.
The controversy erupted after the Karnataka BJP shared a video clip from Monday's march that appeared to show Shivakumar being pulled backwards while attempting to walk alongside Gandhi. BJP leaders alleged that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha had treated the Karnataka Chief Minister disrespectfully, describing the incident as an insult to the people of the state.
Shivakumar, however, maintained that Gandhi had merely expressed concern for his safety because of the large crowd and suggested that he board a vehicle following the procession. He categorically denied being pushed by the Congress leader.
๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shivakumar said Gandhi had not pushed him during the protest and that the interaction had been misrepresented by political opponents. He explained that the Congress leader was concerned about the large number of protesters surrounding them and had advised him to move to a vehicle travelling behind the procession.
Shivakumar asserted that nobody had pushed him during the demonstration and dismissed suggestions that he had been publicly humiliated. Taking a swipe at the BJP, he remarked that the party appeared to have considerable affection for him and was consequently spreading misinformation about the incident.
His clarification followed widespread circulation of a short video showing him moving through the crowd near Gandhi and other opposition leaders. The footage prompted competing interpretations, with BJP leaders alleging deliberate mistreatment and Congress leaders attributing the incident to crowd management and security concerns.
๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ
The Karnataka BJP posted the video on social media and accused Gandhi and the Congress leadership of disrespecting the state's Chief Minister. The party alleged that Shivakumar had been prevented from approaching Gandhi and pushed aside during the march, describing the purported treatment as an affront to Karnataka.
Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also criticised Gandhi, alleging that he had grabbed Shivakumar by the collar. Surya drew a comparison with the Congress leadership's treatment of former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Patil, whose removal from office was announced by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1990.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the criticism, describing the episode as public humiliation and questioning whether Shivakumar would accept such treatment. Sarma, who left the Congress in 2015 before joining the BJP, also referred to his own experience with the party's leadership.
The BJP's allegations have not been independently established, and Shivakumar has expressly disputed the suggestion that Gandhi deliberately pushed or humiliated him.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara also dismissed suggestions that Gandhi had deliberately mistreated Shivakumar, saying crowd management during large political demonstrations was difficult.
He explained that security personnel accompanying Gandhi were responsible for ensuring his protection and controlling access to him amid the gathering. According to Parameshwara, Shivakumar had moved towards the area surrounding Gandhi and was jostled during the movement of protesters and security personnel.
The explanation broadly supported Shivakumar's account that the incident occurred because of the congestion surrounding opposition leaders rather than any deliberate attempt to insult him.
๐ฅ๐ผ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ-๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐
The incident occurred during Monday's INDIA bloc demonstration in Delhi, when opposition leaders and thousands of supporters marched towards the Supreme Court demanding action over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The opposition parties have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an independent investigation into decisions taken by the Election Commission of India. They have also sought suspension of the ongoing electoral roll revision exercise pending scrutiny.
The march brought together senior opposition figures, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Large crowds gathered along the route as the leaders proceeded towards the Supreme Court, with police erecting barricades and imposing restrictions on movement in parts of central Delhi.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ
The dispute over the video has added another confrontation between the Congress and BJP to the broader political controversy surrounding the opposition's protests against the Election Commission.
While BJP leaders have sought to portray the footage as evidence of disrespect towards a sitting Chief Minister, Shivakumar has rejected that interpretation and insisted that Gandhi was acting out of concern for his safety.
His statement leaves the two parties sharply divided over the incident, even as the opposition continues its campaign against the electoral roll revision exercise and the conduct of the Election Commission.
Separately, Delhi Police have registered four FIRs in connection with Monday's march over alleged violations of prohibitory orders imposed in areas around Connaught Place and the Supreme Court.