Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday ordered an inquiry into the stopping of three Dalit ministers by police at Mysuru Palace during the Nandi Dhwaja puja, after the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) accused the Congress government of insulting Dalit representatives and questioned its commitment to social justice.
Kannada and culture minister Tangadagi challenged the officer when he was stopped. The chief minister directed chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh to investigate the incident, identify the officers responsible and submit a report.
“I am the Culture Minister,” he said before moving past the officer, according to a video of the confrontation that was widely shared. He said action would follow against those found guilty. In a statement, Shivakumar described the incident as “extremely serious” and the officials’ conduct as “condemnable”.
“I consider the incident where police officials prevented Ministers Shivaraj Tangadagi, P.M. Narendra Swamy, H.C. Balakrishna, and K.S. Basavanthappa from entering the puja premises during the Nandidhway Puja at the Mysore Palace premises to be extremely serious. The officials’ arrogant behaviour in denying entry even to ministers is condemnable. He added that maintaining discipline while respecting elected representatives was every official’s responsibility and that the government would not tolerate overreach in the name of authority. The chief minister’s office (CMO) statement named four ministers as having been denied entry, although Balakrishna was not visible in the circulating video. He accused the Congress government of failing to practise the equality and social justice it advocates. “I have called this government anti-Dalit several times.
Immediate intervention was made, and arrangements were provided to allow the ministers to enter the puja premises,” he said. There is suspicion in this incident too, as all three ministers were Dalits,” he said. He said the police might have been enforcing security restrictions at an event attended by large crowds.
Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara cautioned against assigning a caste motive before the circumstances were established.
