Bengaluru: The grand swearing-in ceremony of Janata Dal Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy as the Karnataka Chief Minister was seen as a show of opposition unity ahead of 2019 general elections. Most of the non-BJP leaders were in attendance for the gala ceremony, but West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee reportedly did not seem much happy with the traffic arrangements made for the ceremony.
Mamata Banerjee appears to have lost her cool and reprimanded Karnataka’s Director General of Police (DGP) for being made to walk to reach the Vidhana Soudha for the swearing-in ceremony, in a video shot by news agency ANI.
In the video, the Trinamool Congress supremo enters the venue and gestures her displeasure to Karnataka police chief Neelamani Raju, as she walked on a red carpet rolled out for the dignitaries.
Moments later, the chief minister was seen speaking to Kumaraswany and his father former prime minister H D Deve Gowda who welcomed her. She then proceeded to the seating area.
#WATCH: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reprimands DIG Neelamani Raju as she came to Karnataka Vidhana Soudha for oath taking ceremony because reportedly had to walk a few metres, also expressed discontentment to HD Deve Gowda & HD Kumaraswamy. #Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/WZ2n0QVE9b
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2018
Among those who attended the ceremony were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Kejriwal and some leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) didn't seem to have any reservations walking to the oath-taking ceremony.
AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha, who accompanied the Delhi chief minister, tweeted saying they chose to walk to beat the traffic.
Bengaluru traffic beats every city in the country. We walked to the swearing-in venue. Beautiful weather made up for it though. pic.twitter.com/PT9nauyWuk
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) May 23, 2018
After H D Kumaraswamy took oath as Karnataka Chief Minister and G Parameshwara of the Congress was sworn in as his deputy. The leaders from various parts of the country sharing the same dais then got numerous photographs clicked to send out a strong message that in 2019 it would be the BJP against a united opposition.
