Bellary: A video footage went viral showing CM Siddaramaiah slapping a man at an event in Ballary on Saturday. Meanwhile CM rejected the media claims and said that he had not slapped any official.

According to few reports CM, who was in Ballary to attend Launch Developmental Works at Municipal College Grounds, lost his cool and accidentally raised his hand on Ballari Municipal Corporation Commissioner PG Ramesh. Hundreds of people had turned up to greet CM at the event and somebody accidentally stepped on his feet. In a fit of rage CM slapped the man who he did not know was a senior bureaucrat, the reports claimed.

Siddaramaiah, a post on the Chief Minister of Karnataka’s official Facebook account said, “the news that is being telecast by some media channels that the Chief Minister has slapped an officer at the inauguration of Valmiki Bhavan in Ballari has surprised and saddened me.

“Through this, I would like to inform the people of the state that I have not slapped any officer,” the post written in Kannada added.

Clarifying on his part, the government official said the CM was angry at the security staff and not at him. “it is not me, its security; it’s security and not me. I stumbled amidst melee, so the CM told his security not to push, that’s all,” he said.