"Kannadigas do not have the smallness to attack or abuse others": CM Siddaramaiah on Bengaluru road rage case

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India] April 22 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reacted strongly over the alleged road rage incident in CV Raman Nagar involving Indian Air Force Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose and his wife, Squadron Leader Madhumita Das.
In a post on X, CM Siddaramaiah said, "Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose, who attacked Kannadigas Vikas Kumar in connection with the incident of a vehicle being touched in CV Raman Nagar, Bengaluru, has later made unfounded allegations about Karnataka and Kannadigas on the internet, showing the wickedness of hurting the self-respect of Kannadigas."
He further said, "Kannadigas are people who are proud of their mother tongue, not haters. Kannadigas do not have the smallness to attack or abuse others, regardless of the issue of language. The culture of the Kannada soil, which treats everyone who has come from every corner of the country and settled here with respect and loves them as if they were Kannadigas, is a testament to this. History is proof of this."
The state government also condemned the generalisations made in the aftermath of the incident. In a strong message, a CM said, "It is truly regrettable that the national media, forgetting their responsibility and professionalism, has tarnished the dignity of the entire state of Karnataka by taking up a baseless allegation made by someone. This has hurt the sentiments of every Kannadiga."
The statement further appealed to Kannadigas not to take the law into their own hands, urging them to exercise restraint and trust in the legal process.
"I have ordered the Police Commissioner to take appropriate legal action against the culprits, whoever they may be, and whatever their position, in connection with yesterday's incident. The state government has taken the case very seriously and is committed to providing justice to the wronged person," the statement read.
Earlier, members of the Pro Kannada organisation staged a protest outside the Byappanahalli Police Station, demanding action against Officer Bose and justice for Vikas.
On Monday, D. Devaraj, DCP East Bengaluru, denied that language-related violence was a possible cause. While speaking to the reporters, he informed them that this is a clear-cut case of road rage.
He had said, "This is not a case related to any language or reason. This is clearly evident from the facts and evidence collected in the morning. It is a clear-cut case of road rage, a phenomenon that is very common in Bengaluru. Both of them could have avoided this."
He further informed, "When this altercation was taking place, 6-7 youngsters tried to separate the two people and stop the fight. They tried their level best to pacify both of them... When the lady officer, Madhumita Das, was driving, this guy was coming from the opposite direction... This was the root cause... Then the officer got out of the car, and they had a fight. One man, Vikas Kumar, has been arrested..."
"A case and a counter-case have been registered at the Byappanahalli Police Station," the city Police Commissioner B Dayananda said in a press conference. "The police are investigating both versions. Based on CCTV footage and other available evidence, we will gather all necessary information and arrive at a conclusion."
The Commissioner said that further details would be revealed after a thorough investigation. (ANI)