BJP MLA Munirathna storms Shivakumar's Bengaluru outreach event in RSS uniform

The event took a contentious turn when Mr Munirathna, the local BJP MLA, joined the gathering.

A public outreach event led by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was thrown into disarray on Sunday after a confrontation with BJP MLA Munirathna, reviving a bitter political rivalry in the heart of Bengaluru.

The incident occurred at JP Park in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, where Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, was conducting his ‘Bengaluru Nadige’ campaign. The initiative, as reported by TOI, is a citywide effort to interact with residents and gather feedback on civic issues.

The event took a contentious turn when Mr Munirathna, the local BJP MLA, joined the gathering. According to the TOI report, Munirathna was present in the audience dressed in the uniform of the RSS, including a black cap and later claimed he had not been invited to the stage programme.

The confrontation began when Shivakumar, addressing the crowd, singled out the MLA, referring to him as "black cap" and remarking that he had only recently started wearing the attire.

This exchange prompted Munirathna to walk onto the stage and question the organisers. He seized the microphone and accused the administration of orchestrating a party-specific event under the guise of a government programme. "The banner here doesn't have the photos of the MP or the MLA of this area. This is not a govt event but a Congress event," Munirathna alleged, as reported by TOI.

His protest sparked immediate chaos, with Shivakumar's supporters and members of the public shouting slogans against the BJP legislator. Police personnel were forced to intervene, escorting Munirathna from the venue. He subsequently staged a sit-in near a flagpost, calling the removal an "insult" to a sitting MLA.

After order was restored, Shivakumar urged calm and dismissed the disruption. "The MLA didn't have patience. I don't know whether he came here to insult this public meeting," he told the gathering. He added, "You and I are a bit perturbed because of electing such people," he was quoted as saying before resuming the scheduled meeting with citizens.

The public clash is the latest chapter in a long-standing political feud between the two figures. As reported by TOI, Munirathna was once a close ally brought into the Congress by Shivakumar himself. Their relationship soured after the MLA defected to the BJP in 2019, a move that contributed to the collapse of the former Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

The BJP has since rallied behind its legislator. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka stated that Munirathna's protest was a fight for respect in a democracy, alleging that "using govt funds for programmes while sidelining elected MLAs is an insult to the Constitution."

Echoing the sentiment on social media, BJP state president BY Vijayendra used the platform X to attack Mr Shivakumar's conduct, labelling it "arrogant" and "authoritarian." He accused the deputy chief minister of "disrespecting democracy" and issued a warning that "power is not permanent — it is bestowed by people."