NEW DELHI: Karnataka ASP NV Baramani has opted for voluntary retirement, months after chief minister Siddaramaiah publicly humiliated him with a slap gesture during a rally in Belagavi.Baramani, in a letter dated June 12, said that he was “submitting voluntary retirement due to humiliation by the chief minister.”

“On April 28, opposing the central government’s price hike policy, a protest meeting was organized by the Congress party under the leadership of Mr Siddaramaiah, the Honorable chief minister of Karnataka, in Belgaum. I was assigned by my superiors to oversee the stage arrangements for the event,” the letter read.I diligently performed the assigned responsibilities without any lapses, along with my subordinate officers and staff. Several ministers of the state government, as well as state and national-level leaders, addressed the gathering from the stage. Subsequently, Mr Siddaramaiah, the Honorable chief minister of Karnataka, began his speech addressing the protest program,” it added.Baramani said that he felt “deeply humiliated” after the incident, which caused him “severe mental trauma.”“I felt deeply humiliated. For a moment, I wanted to confront the Chief Minister and say that what he did was wrong. But I refrained, understanding the potential public embarrassment it could cause. I chose silence. This incident was widely reported in national media and circulated heavily on social media. The incident has caused me severe mental trauma,” he said.Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party latched on to Baramani’s letter to attack Siddaramaiah, demanding an apology.“We demand that Siddaramaiah set aside his ego, issue a public apology to Narayana Baramani, and urge the officer to reconsider his decision,” BJP leader Amit Malviya said.In April, Siddaramaiah landed in controversy after making a slapping gesture at the cop over a disruption at his rally in Belagavi.Siddaramaiah, who was visibly upset, summoned the police officer onto the stage.He addressed him in the singular, “Come here, who is the SP? What are you doing?”ASP Baramani approaches Siddaramaiah, who raises his hand as if to strike the officer.The incident was condemned by the BJP and its ally, the Janata Dal Secular, both of which said the chief minister’s conduct was “a disgrace of the highest order” and “a display of contempt”.