NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday dismissed claims that Rahul Gandhi pushed him aside during Monday’s protest march in Delhi, as the Congress and the BJP traded barbs over a viral video of the incident.The Karnataka BJP launched a sharp attack on Gandhi over the alleged incident during the October 12 ‘March for Democracy’ to the Supreme Court, calling it an “insult” to the entire state.The party posted a video clip on social media purportedly showing Shivakumar being pushed back amid jostling protesters as he tried to walk alongside Gandhi, who marched ahead, news agency PTI reported.“Rahul Gandhi did not push me during the protest held in Delhi. He showed concern for me by suggesting that I board the vehicle following behind, as the crowd of protesters was large,” Shivakumar said.“No one pushed me during the protest,” he asserted, taking a swipe at the BJP and saying it had “immense affection” for him and was therefore spreading “misinformation”.In a post on X, the state BJP said Gandhi had “called the chief minister of Karnataka, who represents 7 crore Kannadigas, to Delhi and insulted him”.It added that Kannadigas “will never forgive Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party”.State BJP president BY Vijayendra described the march to the Supreme Court as a display of “thuggery, arrogance and slavish loyalty” and a “shocking display of contempt” for constitutional propriety.Alleging that Gandhi pulled Shivakumar by his kurta and pushed him back, Vijayendra also claimed that party workers were elbowed and a woman journalist was reportedly manhandled, calling these incidents “classic hallmarks of a dictator”, PTI reported.Drawing a parallel with the Emergency, Vijayendra said, “If this is how Rahul Gandhi conducts himself as an Opposition leader, one can only imagine the consequences of handing such people the reins of power.”He also questioned the march to the apex court after the Chief Justice of India declined a meeting, noting that the Congress’ petition was “reportedly returned with 14 defects”.“The Supreme Court is not a stage for political theatrics,” he said.Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya also shared the video, saying, “If arrogance of inherited privilege, passed down generations, had a face, it would look like this.”He recalled Rajiv Gandhi’s announcement of Veerendra Patil’s removal as Karnataka chief minister at an airport, saying the Congress dynasty’s “sense of entitlement remains unchanged”, PTI reported.“Politics aside, Shivakumar represents Karnataka, and such public humiliation is an insult to the dignity of 7 crore Kannadigas,” Surya said, adding that Gandhi holds no executive office or constitutional authority over the state’s elected leadership.Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, responding to queries, said crowd management during protests was difficult and recalled facing similar situations in the past.“The primary responsibility of the security personnel there was to protect Rahul Gandhi and ensure that people could not easily approach him. Unfortunately, the chief minister also moved towards that area and was slightly pushed amid the crowd,” he said.Parameshwara added that although a chief minister is entitled to protocol, security personnel in such situations prioritise the protection of their assigned protectee, irrespective of who else approaches.(With agency inputs)
