Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the allegations of Kannadigas being intolerant and said that Kannadigas took pride in their mother tongue, but they were not chauvinists. He was reacting to the incident of road rage that occurred in Bengaluru’s CV Raman Nagar on April 21.
“Following an incident involving a vehicle collision, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose allegedly assaulted Kannadiga Vikas Kumar. Subsequently, he made baseless allegations against Karnataka and Kannadigas on social media, displaying malice by provoking the self-respect of Kannadigas. Kannadigas take pride in their mother tongue, but they are not chauvinists. They do not indulge in the pettiness of attacking or insulting others without reason over language issues,” he said.
The attack, which drew condemnation against Kannadigas, quickly turned when videos of the incident pointed to the Wing Commander assaulting Vikas Kumar, while Shiladitya’s wife kept pleading with her husband to stop the assault.
“It is truly regrettable that national media, forgetting their responsibility and professional ethics, have taken hold of baseless allegations made by an individual and engaged in tarnishing the dignity of the entire state of Karnataka. This has caused pain to the hearts of every Kannadiga,” the CM said. He further said that Kannadigas should not succumb to provocation and break the law.
“I have directed the Police Commissioner to take appropriate legal action against the culprits, regardless of who they are or what position they hold. The state government is taking this case very seriously and is committed to ensuring justice for the victim of this injustice,” he further said.
False narrative, says JD(S)
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) also issued a strong statement condemning the incident. The party urged the Karnataka government to arrest the officer, who was seen in CCTV footage assaulting the employee, and accused him of spreading “false narratives” about a language dispute.
In a post on X, JD(S) said that Shiladitya had “brutally assaulted a Kannadiga techie” in CV Raman Nagar over a minor issue and later attempted to portray the altercation as being rooted in a linguistic dispute.
“The atrocities committed by migrants from northern states are condemnable,” the party wrote. “We urge Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara to immediately arrest Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose, who carried out this murderous assault in public like a rowdy, and deliver justice to the Kannadiga victim.”
The party also criticised the growing trend of what it called “migrants assaulting Kannadigas” in Karnataka. “Those who earn their livelihood in Karnataka and then assault Kannadigas—betraying the very home they live in—must be taught a stern lesson by the government,” the party said.
The altercation took place on April 21 near CV Raman Nagar when, according to the family of Vikas Kumar, the silencer of his bike grazed the car driven by Shiladitya's wife. CCTV footage later showed him hitting Vikas multiple times and putting him in a chokehold. The FIR registered by the Byappanahalli police does not name Shiladitya as an accused but instead names the “male driver” of the vehicle. In their own complaint, the officer and his wife had stated that Madhumita, the wife, was behind the wheel.
Vikas Kumar was arrested that noon and spent a day in jail. He was released on station bail on April 22.
The incident has sparked public outrage, especially after the circulation of the CCTV footage and Shiladitya’s own video, in which he claimed to have been assaulted over a language dispute. Activists and eyewitnesses have since contradicted that version, saying Shiladitya initiated the attack and repeatedly struck Vikas despite being restrained by bystanders.