Karnataka Cop Asks For Voluntary Retirement After CM Siddaramaiah 'Humiliated' Him

A senior police officer in Karnataka has quit his job after he said he was publicly humiliated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The officer, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) NV Baramani, has requested voluntary retirement, but the government has not yet made a decision.

The incident happened on April 28 at a Congress party rally. According to a letter written by Baramani, the Chief Minister was angry about a disturbance near the stage. He called the officer over and shouted, “Hey! Who is this SP here? Get out!”, according to India Today report.

Baramani wrote that the CM then raised his hand as if to slap him. “I instinctively stepped back and narrowly avoided being publicly slapped,” the officer said, quoted by India Today.  He added that even though he wasn't hit, the moment was seen by thousands of people and broadcast on TV, which caused him great shame.

In his letter, Baramani described the devastating effect the incident had on his family. “There was a funeral-like silence. My wife and children broke down in uncontrollable grief,” he wrote. He also said that he felt abandoned because no senior officials contacted him for support.

According to The Print, the officer who has served in the police for 31 years, said the humiliation has made it difficult for him to do his job. “If I, unable to get justice for myself, am expected to deliver justice to others, how fair is that?” he asked.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reportedly spoken to Mr. Baramani and asked him to rethink his decision and no statement has been issued from him so far.

Siddaramaih’s deputy D. K. Shivakumar targeted BJP’s “stunt” of disrupting a Congress protest by sending their workers.

“The BJP has conspired to send some of its workers to protest at our event by displaying black flags. If they continue with such attempts, I would like to warn the BJP leaders that we would not allow the BJP to conduct any events in the state. I urge the BJP leaders to advise its party workers not to indulge in such activities, else we are ready to launch a counter fight,” Shivakumar said in Belagavi, quoted by The Print.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have criticized the Chief Minister. The BJP called the incident an example of the CM's “arrogance” by posting on X “Humiliation of an honest officer is not an exception, it is true Congress culture”

The Congress however alleged that the BJP conspired to disrupt their ‘Samvidhan Bachao & Anti-Price Rise Rally’ in Belagavi by sending some of its workers and displaying black flags. The ruling Congress organised the rally Monday to protest the rising prices of essential commodities under the Modi government.