Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has rejected “false and misleading” social media claims that he was made to stand outside a jeep during the Congress’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar.
In a post on ‘X’, Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, said the image being circulated was taken before he joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the jeep that led the yatra to the Circuit House in Purnia.
“It’s unfortunate (but not surprising) to see Bharatiya Janata Party-affiliated handles obsess over photo angles, seating arrangements, and who greeted whom, instead of addressing the real issue: vote chori,” he wrote.
Shivakumar, who participated in the yatra on Sunday, also asserted that Congress is committed to protecting Kannada pride and fostering harmony.
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He also issued a veiled warning, saying, “Kannadada kattaalu sididedre, kaligoonu kedabahudu kadu niddire,” which translates to “if guardians of Kannada rise in anger, even the arrogant may lose their sleep.”
The Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, aims to highlight what the Congress alleges are the BJP’s attempts to subvert democracy and “steal mandates” through electoral malpractices. Shivakumar quipped that instead of “spending all their energy on photo manipulation,” the BJP should “spend even 10 per cent of that energy talking about stolen mandates.” He ended his post with a friendly jab, saying, “We at the Congress Party believe in Mohabbat Ki Dukaan. You should drop by sometimeโ it might just change you.”
Earlier in the day, a statement from Shivakumar’s office said he visited the Shivling in Purnia and held discussions with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on the sidelines of the programme.