On Monday, while Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was riding in an open vehicle here, a guy brandishing a gun approached him and slapped Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy who was standing next him. The incident took place in the city of Bhairasandra during Siddaramaiah's campaign for Sowmya Reddy, the daughter of Reddy and the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha.
With a revolver strapped to his waist, the man—whom the police identified as Riyaz—suddenly stepped onto the car. Shouting Congress slogans, Riyaz praised Reddy, his daughter Sowmya, and other individuals. Siddaramaiah and the other passengers on the car saw the gun as he was getting out.
According to the police, Riyaz has been exempt from giving up his pistol since a violent attack on him a few years ago and has been carrying a gun ever since.
The chief minister was singled out by the BJP in a post on the microblogging platform "X," which said that this demonstrated that "those who garland" Siddaramaiah are thugs, hooligans, and rowdies.
The gun-wielding thugs from the birthday posters are now appearing in front of society at rallies with guns and garlands on the chief minister and deputy chief minister. The party said that despite the election code of conduct being in effect, they are intimidating the local voters by brandishing guns and holding such a demonstration.
