"Boy Of The Household...": Karnataka Congress Chief On Smacking A Man

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar today play down the incident of his assaulting a man, the video of which was widely shared on social media and messaging platforms, sparking criticism of his behaviour. He said the man he hit was a "boy of our household".

Friday's incident, which took place in southern Karnataka's Mandya district, had an irritated Mr Shivakumar smack the man on the head when he wrapped his arm around the senior politician. Moments later, he seen telling the man why he lost his cool even as the latter says "sorry anna" (sorry brother).

When asked about it later, the Congress leader asked, "What to say if one puts his arms around? What will people say? Can we allow such a thing because he is a karyakarta (worker)? What will others looking at it say?"

Tweeting the video of the incident, BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whether he had given a "licence for violence" to Mr Shivakumar, calling him a follower of Kotwal Ramachandra, a Bengaluru gangster of the 1970s and 1980s.

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", @RahulGandhi? pic.twitter.com/JuuSBsALwG

— C T Ravi ???????? ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) July 10, 2021

The Karnataka BJP called Karnataka Pradesh Congress President "Rowdy DKShi", saying he should learn to conduct himself in public.

In another video posted by the BJP, Mr Shivakumar can be seen hitting a youth who tried to click selfies with him.

When asked about Friday's incident again today, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress President said, "Look he's our boy. Besides, a distant relative. I did hit him, saying 'take your hand off me'. It's ok, he is a boy of our household. If he scolds me, I will listen. If I scold him, he will listen. It's between him and me."

About the earlier incident, which reportedly took place in Bengaluru's Sadashivnagar locality, Mr Shivakumar, in a statement issued by the Congress, clarified: "It's natural that we scold when guys do such acts. That's the bonding between us. You have been highlighting that, looking to make a leader out of him. Do it."