Bengaluru, 9 September

Horticulture Minister SS Mallikarjun purportedly told farmers to beat BJP MLA BP Harish “with slippers” and not to refer to him as “anna”, when the Davangere local residents approached him about water. 

In a video that has gone viral, a group of farmers can be seen approaching Mallikarjun at a veterinary centre and telling him that they had raised matters regarding the release of Bhadra reservoir water with local MLA “Harish anna", but were asked to approach their "Sahukaar"—the minister. Mallikarjun is the Davangere district in-charge minister. 

Mallikarjun immediately questioned why Harish was being referred to as "anna" and allegedly made remarks against the BJP legislator.

Mallikarjun defended his stance on Wednesday.

"What have I said? I have said nothing. When the farmer referred to Harish as anna, I only questioned the farmer's age. That's all. I told him: You are elderly; why are you addressing him (the MLA) as 'anna'? Instead, refer to eligible people as 'anna', as he (the MLA) was not a suitable person to be addressed as 'anna'," he told reporters.

But the issued spiralled beyond him, with State BJP President BY Vijayendra demanding a public apology from Mallikarjun. 

“When a person from a prominent family background speaks so irresponsibly about an elected MLA, it is not merely an insult to Harish; it is an insult to the people of the entire constituency,” Vijayendra said. “State politics has never sunk to such a low level.”