Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday lost his temper during a Congress protest rally in the city after some Youth Congress workers began raising slogans in support of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar while he was preparing to address the gathering.

As Siddaramaiah rose from his chair to speak, chants of “DK, DK” rang out from a section of the crowd, prompting a visibly irritated response from the chief minister. Turning towards the slogan-shouting workers, Siddaramaiah questioned who they were and expressed displeasure over the disruption at the event.

The incident took place during a Congress-led protest condemning the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a new rural employment scheme titled the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin), also referred to as VB-G RAM G.

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The rally saw the participation of several senior Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, and state legislators. The protest was aimed at highlighting concerns over the potential impact of the proposed scheme on rural livelihoods and employment security.

The episode has once again drawn attention to the perceived power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, particularly between supporters of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. While party leaders have publicly downplayed internal differences, such incidents continue to fuel speculation about leadership dynamics within the state unit.

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