'Useless fellows': Kharge loses cool at Congress workers over pro-Shivakumar slogans in Bengaluru

A video from the event showed workers chanting Shivakumar's initials as senior Congress leaders, including Shivakumar, urged the crowd to quieten down.

Updated on: Jun 21, 2026, 18:22:54 IST

Written by Anagha Deshpande

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lost his cool at party workers during the Sankalpa Samavesha programme in Bengaluru after a section of the crowd repeatedly raised "DK-DK" slogans in support of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at the Sankalpa Samavesha programme in Bengaluru. (ANI video)

A video from the event showed workers chanting Shivakumar's initials as senior Congress leaders, including Shivakumar and AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, appeared to urge the crowd to quieten down.

Also Read: 'Want to know whom am I giving security to?': Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge on RSS transparency demand

Watch the video here:

Interrupting his speech, Kharge rebuked the workers and warned of disciplinary action.

"Will the entire country be affected if you shout here? This is not an individual's programme, it is a party programme. You useless fellows... There is no worship of individuals here, we are here for the party programme which brings all of us together," Kharge said.

The Congress chief also invoked his long political career while cautioning party workers against personality-centric politics.

"I have 58 years of political experience. Many leaders have come here; although their contribution to the party is small, the party has given them a very big contribution. Whoever is shouting here, there will be footage, I will take disciplinary action after reviewing the footage," he said.

On June 4, DK Shivakumar was sworn in as Karnataka's chief minister, formally taking charge of the state government alongside Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and a 12-member Council of Ministers, bringing an end to his long-running leadership tussle with predecessor Siddaramaiah.

Soon after taking oath, Shivakumar chaired his first Cabinet meeting and announced a series of youth-focused initiatives, including free bus passes for students and the formation of 10,000 Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas aimed at nurturing leadership skills and promoting social harmony.

Dressed in a silk kurta and dhoti, Shivakumar took the oath in the name of revered seer Veera Gangadhara Ajjayya while holding a copy of the Constitution. He then bowed before the gathering and paid his respects after being sworn in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anagha Deshpande
Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More

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