Karnataka: Viral video shows Dalits being asked to serve CM Bommai only branded tea

Bengaluru, Oct 13: A video purportedly showing officials instructing a Dalit family to serve only branded and packaged tea powder instead of ordinary tea to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, has gone viral on social media.

On the sidelines of the Jana Sankalpa Yatra, Bommai, Yediyurappa and other BJP leaders had breakfast at the residence of a dalit family in Kamalapur village in Vijayanagara district on Wednesday.

Later, the Chief Minister's office shared the picture and videos of their breakfast.

In a counter attack, the Congress shared a video on its official Twitter handle showing the officials purportedly giving instruction to the family even before Bommai and his team reached there.

In the video, an official accompanied by a police sub-inspector is heard saying that they would take the sample.

"... Get 250 grams of...any company's tea. Keep other tea dust separately. Don't use it. Get the company (branded) items," the official is purportedly telling the family in the video.

Also, the video claimed that only packaged drinking water was served to the Chief Minister and others.

"The real mentality of the Sangh Parivar has been exposed in the Chief Minister's 'Dalit house meal' farce. Meals at Dalits' home had been an insult for the BJP, now it suspects it too. Did the PayCM Basavaraj Bommai entered Dalits' houses to insult Dalits? Is BJP so suspicious of Dalits?" the Congress tweeted.

With its PayCM campaign, the Congress has accused the Chief Minister of running a corrupt government where hefty commission is charged for public works.