Months After 'Humiliation' By CM Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Cop Seeks Voluntary Retirement

ASP Narayan Baramani, publicly reprimanded by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, has filed for voluntary retirement, sparking political controversy.

While the government has remained tight-lipped on the reason behind the VRS, political circles are abuzz with speculation.

Source : Special arrangement

ASP Narayan Baramani, who was allegedly humiliated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a public event in Belagavi earlier this year, has now submitted his voluntary retirement application, triggering a fresh political storm in the state. According to sources, the officer was emotionally disturbed after the April incident, where CM Siddaramaiah, angry over a protest by BJP women workers near the stage during a Congress rally, summoned Baramani in front of the crowd and raised his hand in anger as if to slap him, but refrained at the last moment. The public reprimand, caught on camera, went viral on social media and drew widespread criticism over the CM’s treatment of a uniformed officer.

While the government has remained tight-lipped on the reason behind the VRS, political circles are abuzz with speculation. In a sharp reaction, the JDS posted on X, “Fed up with the Hitler-like rule of the Siddaramaiah government, police officers in the state are opting for voluntary retirement. ASP Narayan Bharamani, humiliated in front of the nation, has now sought retirement due to mental distress.”

The post went on to accuse the Congress-led government of insulting honest officers instead of valuing them “In @INCKarnataka misrule, for honest and capable officers, ‘respect’ means insult and suspension.”

This development has reignited debates within administrative and political circles about the treatment of civil servants, the dignity of uniformed personnel, and the growing pressure they face under political leadership.

Taking to X, BJP Karnataka said, "Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shri Narayan Bharamani, who was nearly slapped by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a self-promotional Congress event, has now applied for voluntary retirement. We could only imagine the humiliation he had to go through because of the arrogance of this "lottery CM"."