67-year-old Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is facing a major dissidence after he dropped 14 Ministers from his Cabinet on Sunday, has to face a peck by a woman from the same Kuruba community in public meeting in Bengaluru as an overwhelmed gesture of her appreciation to him.
Even though the fans of the politicians are known to greet their leaders by bowing or prostrating or even throwing slippers, but this incident of a woman panchayat member greeting the Chief Minister by placing a peck on Siddaramaiah’s cheek not only left him embarrassed but shows a sycophancy at its heights.
The incident happened at a programme to felicitate newly elected members of zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats, organised by the Karnataka Pradesha Kuruba Sangha at palace grounds in Bengaluru. Siddaramaiah, who is playing appeasement politics to the hilt, belongs to Kuruba community, which is politically expected to play a major role in Karnataka as the third dominant community after Vokkaligas and lingayats.
Girija Srinivas standing next to the Chief Minister for a group photo, who hails from Tarikere and a Taluk Panchayat member from Amruthapura in Chikmagalur district, all of a sudden in her moment of joy, gave a peck on his cheek and walked away. Siddaramaiah, looking visibly embarrassed by the incident, wiped his cheek with a big smile. Speaking to a TV channel, the woman said she was happy that the CM was also a Kuruba, and called him “lion of the community”.
“I was overjoyed by the fact that I was standing next to him. My family and I have always called him “Appaji” (father).”
She also clarified that placing a peck on Siddaramaiah's cheek was not pre-planned. Girirja Srinivas hails from Varuna in Mysuru District, which is Siddaramaiah's Assembly constituency. She is married to a man from Chikmagalur.
Speaking to reporters Siddaramaiah said, “that girl is like my daughter” and left.
The gesture was caught on camera and it has gone viral on social media. In the video, the woman is seen kissing Siddaramaiah on stage during a State-level program of Kuruba Community, leaving all surprised and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah red-faced.