Mysuru Dasara row erupts as BJP slams police stopping of Dalit ministers

A political controversy has broken out in Karnataka after police officers stopped several Dalit ministers from entering a ritual site during the Mysuru Dasara festival at the Mysuru Palace, prompting Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to order an official inquiry.

Superintendent of Police C B Rishyanth stopped Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, alongside ministers P M Narendraswamy and K S Basavanthappa, as they followed Shivakumar for the Nandi Dhwaja puja preceding the main procession. Video footage showed Tangadagi confronting the officer and asserting his position before moving past, while other ministers were temporarily held back until Shivakumar intervened to allow them entry. A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office later named a fourth minister, H C Balakrishna, as having been denied entry.

Shivakumar instructed Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to investigate the incident, identify the officers responsible, and submit a report for strict disciplinary action. Describing the conduct of the officials as arrogant and condemnable, Shivakumar said maintaining discipline while showing due respect to elected representatives remains a fundamental official obligation.

Political stances on the Mysuru Dasara incident

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) seized on the incident to criticise the state administration. Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, questioned whether police officers were following deliberate instructions to obstruct the ministers, while senior BJP leader R Ashoka called for full accountability over police security management.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara cautioned against attributing caste motives to the incident before facts are fully established, noting that officers may have been strictly enforcing crowd control measures at a heavily attended public ceremony.