Bengaluru: A heated exchange over irrigation water has snowballed into a political controversy in Karnataka after Horticulture Minister S.S. Mallikarjun was allegedly caught on camera making abusive remarks against BJP MLA B.P. Harish.
The incident reportedly took place in Harihar, where local farmers approached Mallikarjun seeking water from the Bhadra reservoir for irrigation. According to Harish, the farmers told the minister that they had come to meet him on his advice because they wanted water for the Harihar region.
The conversation soon turned tense. A video that has circulated online purportedly shows Mallikarjun making an angry remark about Harish and telling the farmers to “beat him with slippers.” He also reportedly objected to the farmers referring to the BJP MLA as “anna”, a term used in Kannada as a mark of respect.
The comments have drawn sharp criticism from Harish, who accused the minister of using vulgar language instead of addressing the farmers demand.
Harish said the farmers had approached Mallikarjun because they wanted Bhadra water for irrigation in the region. He also claimed that the minister had repeatedly used abusive language against him and said the latest incident was not an isolated one.
Asked whether he would raise the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Harish said he would first inform the BJP’s state and district leadership and then decide on the next course of action.
The controversy has also drawn a response from the Karnataka BJP. Harish said state BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra had condemned Mallikarjun’s conduct at a press conference on September 8. The BJP leadership has backed Harish and criticised the minister over the alleged remarks.
At the centre of the dispute is the demand for Bhadra reservoir water for irrigation. The issue comes at a time when water allocation from the Bhadra system remains a major concern for farmers in parts of central Karnataka. A separate pilot project to release 3 TMCFT of water from the Bhadra Reservoir into the Chitradurga branch canal was inaugurated earlier this week.
What started as a meeting over farmers water needs has therefore turned into a fresh Congress-BJP political clash, with Mallikarjun’s alleged remarks now overshadowing the original irrigation issue.
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