Bengaluru, Aug 19: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has denounced an egg attack on senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, saying differences of opinion should be countered not by physical action.
“Siddaramaiah is the Leader of the Opposition and the position of Leader of the Opposition carries its own dignity. If there is a difference of opinion on any matter, it should be countered with strong opinions. Not by physical action. Everyone should follow this,” Bommai tweeted.
ಮಾನ್ಯ @siddaramaiah ಅವರು, ವಿರೋಧ ಪಕ್ಷದ ನಾಯಕರಾಗಿದ್ದು, ವಿರೋಧ ಪಕ್ಷದ ನಾಯಕ ಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ತನ್ನದೇ ಆದ ಗೌರವ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಯಾವುದೇ ವಿಷಯದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬಿನ್ನಾಭಿಪ್ರಾಯವಿದ್ದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು ಬಲವಾದ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ವಿರೋಧಿಸಬೇಕು. ಯಾವುದೇ ದೈಹಿಕ ಕಾರ್ಯದಿಂದಲ್ಲ. ಇದನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಪಾಲಿಸಬೇಕು.
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) August 18, 2022
Bommai made the comment a day after eggs were hurled at Siddaramaiah’s vehicle and black flags and photos of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar were waived by protesters in Kodagu district.
One of the protesters threw a picture of Savarkar at him through the vehicle window. Siddaramaiah had visited Kodagu to take stock of rain-related damages.
The protesters accused him of being anti-Hindu and an egg was thrown at his car, leading to a face-off between Congress and the demonstrators.
The protesters blocked his vehicle at Guddehosur in Kushalnagar. He faced a similar protest in Madikeri, where BJP and Congress workers threw eggs at each other.
The BJP has been hitting out at the Congress for its alleged involvement in dismantling Savarkar’s picture in Shivamogga a day before India’s Independence Day.
The incident resulted in clashes between two groups and Section 144 had to be imposed in the district and surrounding Bhadravati.
The controversy was ignited by Siddaramaiah questioning the installation of Savarkar’s flex in a Muslim area, which resulted in communal flareup.
