Made To Wait At Temple, Devotees Throw Slippers At Screen Showing DK Shivakumar Praying

Bengaluru: Devotees waiting at an iconic temple in Karnataka's Hassan, where Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had come for a darshan, got agitated after they could not offer prayers at Hasanamba temple for hours. In protest, they allegedly threw slippers at a giant screen where the chief minister was shown praying.As the chief minister took his time to offer prayers amid high security, some devotees began questioning the arrangements and whether politicians have a first right to offer prayers while others waited for their turn.Videos of the brief protest including some people throwing slippers have been shared widely on social media.Shivakumar yesterday came to Hassan, 180 km from the state capital Bengaluru, to pray at the famous Hasanamba temple and inaugurate a flower and fruit show alongside a sports festival.He then asked people to support the Congress party across all seven assembly constituencies in Hassan district in the upcoming polls."For some people, falsehood has become their household deity. Mother Hassanamba will give a fitting reply to the lies they tell. She will decide what strength to bestow upon whom and what punishment to administer. Nobody should worry unnecessarily; we must continue our work with honesty," Shivakumar said.Expressing gratitude to the people of Karnataka for delivering a decisive mandate of 136 seats to the Congress government, Shivakumar pointed out that the party currently holds only one assembly constituency in Hassan district."Standing in the presence of Hassanamba, I appeal to the people of this district. Support the Congress in all seven constituencies of Hassan and grant us more strength. We will govern in a manner that the entire country admires Karnataka's administration. Power is given to serve the public, and our government is committed to bringing peace into people's lives," he added.Turning to temple infrastructure, Shivakumar said the state government is considering a grant of Rs 20 crore to develop Hasanamba temple, including the construction of a rajagopuram and easing space constraints around the shrine under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.There are three major temples on the premises of this temple dedicated to Darbar Ganapati, Hasanamba and Siddeshwara. Another prominent attraction is a shrine dedicated to Kallappa.