Siddaramaiah trying to slap me is an attack on the dignity of Government employees: ASP Baramani

Belagavi: In a dramatic development, dealing a fresh blow to the Congress Government in Karnataka, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Narayan Venkappa Baramani has submitted a formal request for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), citing severe emotional distress after an alleged public humiliation by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a Congress rally earlier this year.

Baramani claimed that the CM attempted to slap him during the event held on April 28 in Belagavi, blaming him for lapses in crowd control after a group of women waved black flags and raised slogans against the Congress leadership.

According to Baramani, he was deployed at the venue as part of the security detail when the unexpected protest unfolded. He alleged that the CM lost his temper and moved aggressively toward him.

“Having been publicly insulted and humiliated by the behaviour of the Chief Minister on a public platform for a mistake I did not commit, I have no other option but to voluntarily resign and I request that you accept this,” he wrote in an open letter.

The senior officer, who began his career in the Police force as a Sub-Inspector in 1994, said the incident shattered his self-respect and lowered his morale. What hurt him even more, he added, was the silence that followed.

“Neither the Chief Minister nor any senior officer contacted me to offer support or reassurance. I was left to deal with the humiliation alone as the incident played out on television for two                                 straight days,” he said.

Baramani, who still has several years of service left, said the incident not only impacted him personally but sent a demoralising message across the Government machinery.

“This was not just an attack on me. It was an attack on the dignity of all Government employees, in and out of uniform. I have always served with discipline and dedication, but for months now, I have carried the burden of this insult. I am left with no option but to seek VRS,” Baramani said.