On cam: DK Shivakumar slaps party leader during poll campaign

Ratcheting up an attack on DK Shivakumar, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on Sunday condemned the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister after a viral video emerged of him allegedly slapping a Congress worker during an election campaign in Haveri district.

The incident, captured in a viral video, depicts Shivakumar’s campaign for Congress Lok Sabha candidate Vinoda Asooti in Savanur town. In the video, Shivakumar appears to be exiting a vehicle as workers surround him. The Congress worker attempts to touch Shivakumar’s shoulders, prompting Shivakumar to slap him. Police intervention follows, with Shivakumar walking away.

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT Cell, condemned the incident, sharing the video on social media and criticising Shivakumar’s actions. Malviya highlighted previous instances of alleged aggression by Shivakumar towards Congress workers.