Bengaluru, 12 Oct

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's public outreach programme at JP park in the city on Sunday was disrupted by protests from BJP MLA Munirathna and his supporters.

For the past few days, Shivakumar, who holds Bengaluru development portfolio, has been conducting the outreach programme called 'Bengaluru Nadige' (Bengaluru March) to interact with residents and hear theirgrievances.

As part of his campaign, the Deputy Chief Minister met morning walkers, the residents of welfare associations and people from various sections of the society at the park, which falls under the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency.

During the event, a stage was also set up at the park to address the gathering. After listening to people, Shivakumar sat on the daisalong with some BBMP officials.

Munirathna, who was also present in the crowd sporting RSS uniform including a black cap was invited to the stage.

Soon after getting on to the stage, Munirathna seized themic from the anchor and alleged that the programme was a Congress event.

"The banner that has been put up here does not have the photos of the MP or the MLA of this area. This is a Congress event and not a government event," charged the MLA representing Rajarajeswari nagar constituency.

A commotion ensued as the MLA's supporters started raisingslogans, prompting the policemen deployed there to remove them.

The MLA then staged a sit-in demonstration at a flag post calling it an "insult" to the sitting MLA in a government programme.

Shivakumar urged the gathering to remain calm and hear him patiently.

Blaming Munirathna for disrupting the event, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "The MLA didn't have the patience. I don't know whether he came here to insult this public meeting."

Noting that the commotion will not bother him, he asked people not to take it to heart.

"Me and you are bit perturbed because of electing such people. I know this situation," Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, told people.

Shivakumar and Munirathna have been at loggerheads since 2023.

The BJP MLA was previously with Congress. It is said that Shivakumar was instrumental in bringing Munirathna to Congress.

He gradually expanded his grip in the Congress and became anMLA.

However, Munirathna was instrumental in toppling the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by JD(S) second-in-command HD Kumaraswamy.

After the fall of the coalition government, BJP led by BS Yediyurappa formed government in Karnataka

Munirathna later joined the BJP and became a minister. He not only won the 2023 Assembly election but also played a crucial role in defeating DK Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The BJP MLA was recently booked in a few cases related to cheating and rape charges. He was arrested and remanded to the judicial custody.

In one of the cases, the probing officer gave him a clean chit. Munirathna called these cases an outcome of the politics of vendetta.