Bengaluru:
What was meant to be a peaceful public outreach program turned into a full-blown political melodrama at JP Park on Sunday, as Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s “Bengaluru Nadige” event was marred by chaos, shouting matches, and a dramatic face-off with Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna.
The flashpoint? A single phrase — “Black cap MLA, please come to the stage.”
That call from Shivakumar to Munirathna, who had arrived wearing the RSS’s signature black cap, triggered a chain of heated exchanges that stunned onlookers and derailed the event’s original intent of addressing civic grievances.
The BJP legislator, who said he had not been invited to the event, was seated among the public when Shivakumar invited him to the dais. Moments later, Munirathna stormed up to the stage and grabbed the microphone, accusing the organizers of turning a public grievance meet into a Congress function.
“There’s no photo of an MP or MLA here. Is this a public event or a Congress rally?”
he thundered, as supporters from both sides began shouting slogans.
Congress workers hit back, chanting “Dhikkara, Dhikkara Munirathna!” while BJP supporters countered with slogans defending their MLA. The atmosphere quickly descended into pandemonium.
Eyewitnesses said that in the scuffle that followed, Munirathna’s RSS cap was snatched, prompting him to accuse Congress supporters of “disrespecting the Sangh” and “physically assaulting” him.
“They insulted me by tearing off my RSS cap. I came here from an RSS event — this is an insult not to me but to the people who elected me,”
Munirathna said emotionally, vowing to protest the incident.
He further alleged that “rowdies from Channapatna, Kanakapura, and Ramanagara were brought to attack him”, escalating the controversy further.
The confrontation brought the event to a standstill. Police intervened and tried to escort the MLA off the stage, but he refused to leave, sitting in silent protest for several minutes.
“I will not move. This is a public park, not a party ground,”
he told officials before finally leaving the premises amid heavy police presence.
The incident has once again reignited the bitter rivalry between Shivakumar and Munirathna, both powerful figures in Bengaluru’s political landscape. While the Deputy CM had launched “Bengaluru Nadige” to listen to citizens’ problems in public spaces, the episode at JP Park has shifted the focus entirely to political theatrics.
Political observers say the “black cap episode” has exposed the widening rift between Congress and BJP leaders in Bengaluru, and the incident could have ripple effects within Rajarajeshwari Nagar’s local political circles, especially with civic elections approaching.
As the dust settles, one question remains — will Bengaluru’s parks become spaces for citizens’ voices or battlegrounds for political egos?
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