IAF officer's Bengaluru clash triggers political storm, fierce backlash over ‘Kannada pride'

The Print

22-04-2025

However, hours after the posts went viral on social media, additional videos surfaced, showing the IAF officer grievously assaulting the biker he had earlier accused of being the aggressor .
On Monday, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose shared two videos online, in which he appeared bloodied and claimed that he and his wife, a Squadron Leader, were assaulted for being 'outsiders' in Karnataka. His assertions drew widespread reactions across the country.
Bengaluru: The road rage incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer in Bengaluru took a political turn Tuesday, with members of both the ruling and opposition parties framing the altercation as an issue of Kannada pride and identity. Leaders condemned what they described as the tendency of 'outsiders' to take Kannadigas for granted.
The political fallout intensified Tuesday when Prathap Simha, former Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representing Mysuru-Kodagu, made incendiary remarks threatening a recurrence of the 1991–92 Cauvery riots if 'outsiders' did not stop testing the patience of Kannadigas.
'If you test the patience of Kannadigas… you know what happened during the Cauvery riots in 1991–92. Kannadigas have this power… to beat up and chase out anyone,' Simha told reporters Tuesday. He added that people from other states come to Karnataka as they lack means of livelihood in their home regions.
'A blame saying 'non-Kannadigas are being attacked'. This is an attempt to tarnish Karnataka's reputation. A conspiracy is being carried out through social media and English channels. I condemn this. There are no cases of Kannadigas harassing others for not knowing Kannada,' Simha said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also weighed in, criticising the IAF officer for what he described as 'unwarranted and derogatory remarks about Karnataka and Kannadigas' posted on social media. The remarks, he said, were 'deeply disrespectful and inflammatory.'
In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), Siddaramaiah stated: 'Kannadigas are proud of their mother tongue, but they are not parochial or intolerant. It is not in our culture to attack or abuse others over linguistic matters.' He further said it was unfortunate that national media outlets had amplified what he termed 'baseless allegations' that cast 'aspersions on the dignity of the entire state.'
In connection with a recent incident in CV Raman Nagar, Bengaluru, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose assaulted a Kannadiga, Vikas Kumar, following a minor vehicle-related matter. Subsequently, he made unwarranted and derogatory remarks about Karnataka and Kannadigas on social media,…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 22, 2025
Meanwhile, the biker involved in the altercation, 28-year-old Vikas Kumar, was released on station bail Tuesday afternoon. Several pro-Kannada outfits rallied in his support and demanded action against Wing Commander Bose.
In a video statement following his release, Vikas claimed that the incident had jeopardised his employment. 'I will get justice from the Wing Commander. I won't leave this here. They filed a false complaint about a language barrier. I speak five languages—Kannada, English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu. I know it's difficult to survive with just one language, so I have learnt four to five. He (Bose) gave false complaints and attacked me,' Kumar said in the one-minute-eight-second video.
Kumar has lodged a counter-complaint at Byappanahalli police station, accusing Bose of attempted murder, criminal intimidation, and intent to provoke a breach of peace, among other charges. However, the police have not named Bose in the First Information Report (FIR); instead, they have referred to him only as a 35-year-old car driver.
Wing Commander Bose reportedly flew to Kolkata Monday, and his wife, Squadron Leader Madhumita Dutta, could not be reached for comment. At least four IAF officers were seen visiting Byappanahalli police station on Tuesday.
In an official statement, the IAF said: 'An unfortunate incident, involving an IAF Officer, took place in Bengaluru yesterday. The IAF is assisting the local authorities in investigating and following up the case to its lawful resolution.'
The incident and the officer's subsequent social media post have caused visible unease within IAF ranks in Bengaluru. One officer told ThePrint that Bose and his wife were asked to secure legal representation and handle the case independently after the video brought up sensitive linguistic and cultural issues.
'The video took on a different colour when linguistic sentiments were provoked and the officer played to the subconscious. More than the rampage, it was the rant that has irked the organisation (IAF),' the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda also suggested that many of the claims made by Wing Commander Bose were 'far from reality.'
'Whenever you upload such things on social media, it should be factual, authentic and truthful. Otherwise, such kinds of things—especially when it comes to language, race, community, religion, and other issues—can escalate very fast,' Dayananda told reporters at a media briefing Tuesday.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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