New Delhi [India], October 14 : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar should stand up to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over what the BJP leader described as humiliation, sharing a video from the INDIA bloc protest on October 12.
The purported video showed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, allegedly pulling Shivakumar back by his shirt during an INDIA bloc march from Barakhamba Road to the Supreme Court amid the protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
In a post on X, Rijiju said Shivakumar frequently emphasises his deep ties to Karnataka's language, culture and people, adding that he should stand up against Rahul Gandhi in the same way Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma did.
https://x.com/KirenRijiju/status/2110100684557402463
"Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri D.K. Shivakumar ji identifies himself as a proud Kannadiga and frequently emphasises his deep ties to Karnataka's language, culture, and people. He will surely stand up against Rahul Gandhi Ji for humiliating him, the way Himanta Ji stood," Rijiju said.
Earlier, sharing the video on X, Sarma recalled his decision to leave the Congress, saying he had refused to accept humiliation as a proud Assamese.
"In 2015, I refused to swallow humiliation, as a proud Assamese. God was kind to me," Sarma said.
Referring to the Karnataka Chief Minister, Sarma said the office represented the state's history, culture and pride, and questioned whether the leader would bow to what he described as public humiliation.
"The Chief Minister of Karnataka is not just an individual. He is a constitutional office, and the face of a State with a glorious history, a rich culture and great pride. Will he bow to this public humiliation? 'Reinvention' can't hide arrogance. Change the mask all you like; the face beneath stays the same," Sarma wrote.
Sarma left the Congress in 2015 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He became the Chief Minister of Assam in 2021.
Hitting back, DK Shivakumar said that Rahul Gandhi had advised him to return to his vehicle amid concern for his safety. He said that the video cannot tell the whole story.
"Our Fight Is for Democracy, Not Distractions. Yesterday’s protest witnessed a sea of people united in the fight against Vote Chori and in defence of our democracy. Shri @RahulGandhi, out of concern for my safety, advised me to return to the vehicle and be cautious. That is the bond we share — one rooted in trust, affection and family. A 10-second video cannot tell the whole story. Let us not lose sight of the real issue: Vote Chori and the fight to safeguard every Indian’s right to vote," the Karnataka CM posted on X.