Viral video of DK Shivakumar tossing half-eaten apples at fans sparks BJP backlash

BENGALURU: The BJP on Tuesday strongly criticised Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar after a video purportedly showed him throwing half-eaten apples towards supporters during a felicitation event in his hometown of Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.

The party alleged that the incident reflected the Congress party's mindset.

According to sources, Congress workers organised a grand felicitation ceremony for D K Shivakumar in Kanakapura on Sunday, where they presented him with a massive garland made of apples. The oversized garland was lifted with the help of a crane.

After the event, Shivakumar was seen biting into two apples from the garland and tossing them one after the other towards party workers before leaving the venue.

A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, drawing criticism from the BJP, which targeted the Congress leader over his actions.

The party posted the video on 'X' and wrote in Hindi, which translates, "Throwing half-bitten apple at the very public whose votes bring you to power is no joke-it's a mirror to the Congress mindset."

The party further said, "Respect isn't shown through words, but through behaviour. The public doesn't beg for charity; it demands respect. And when arrogance takes the place of respect, the public responds in kind."

Meanwhile, sources claimed that Shivakumar tossed the half-eaten apples towards supporters only after some of them allegedly requested the fruit as "prasad" from a leader they regard as a demi-god during the felicitation ceremony in which he was adorned with an apple garland.