Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah landed himself in a controversy with his statement on people who wear tilak (sacred Hindu mark of vermillion on forehead).
Siddaramaiah offering prayers at Sri Sri Maha Mahadeswara Temple in Chamarajpet, Bangaluru, on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. (Photo: Twitter/@siddaramaiah)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah landed himself in a controversy with his statement on people who wear tilak (sacred Hindu mark of vermillion on forehead).
Addressing an event in Karnataka’s Badami on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah, a Congress leader, mockingly said that he is scared of people who smear ash or apply the kumkum on their foreheads.
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The practice of sporting a tilak on forehead is common among Hindus across the country.
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“You are wearing that kumkum, will you do the work properly? I am scared of people who wear kumkum,” he said.
Siddaramaiah, who is the MLA from Badami, was speaking at an event to inaugurate a lake rejuvenation project.
“You have to do the work well and finish it on time, I don’t know… I have this fear about people who wear such long tikas on their forehead,” Siddaramaiah added.
According to reports, he was referring to a contractor present at the event who was sporting a tilak on his forehead. A priest had performed pooja during the inauguration.
Siddaramaiah is not new to controversies. In January this year, he was criticised for snatching the microphone away from a woman complainant in a public gathering which also pulled down her dupatta.
During the run-up to the assembly elections in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, who the opposition had accused of being for being anti-Hindu, had stressed on his Hindu identity by pointing to his name.
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