Rahul Gandhi ended the Karnataka leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Sunday referring to the saint Basavanna’s advice not to be angry or intolerant, the comments lent greater significance by a state BJP minister’s alleged act of slapping a woman at a public event.

V. Somanna, minister of infrastructure development in Karnataka, was distributing land titles in a village in Gundlupet, Chamarajanagar district.

Somanna was participating in a property document distribution ceremony at Hangla village in Chamarajanagar district on Saturday, PTI reported.

Property ownership papers were being handed over to landless people who were occupying government land for residential purposes when the woman, later identified as Kempamma, approached Somanna, the district in-charge minister. She reportedly pleaded with him to allot a plot.

The minister, who is a BJP leader, later told reporters: “This incident is not an incident at all. I have been in politics for the past 40 years. This was a programme organised for the downtrodden and economically weaker sections of the society. Though I did not misbehave at all, if anyone felt hurt, I apologise and express regret.”

According to him, Kempamma, a widow, was repeatedly coming onto the stage, compelling him to ask her not to do so. Though he told her that he would resolve her issue in 10 minutes once he came down from the stage, she did not relent, Somanna said.

“I was trying to make her stand aside, indicating to her with my hand. There was no other intention other than that. I have high regard for women. I too come from a financially weaker background,” the minister said. He added that he issued a Hakku Patra (ownership paper) to Kempamma on Sunday.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “What a difference from the way Rahul Gandhi began the Karnataka leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra from the very same Gundlupet on September 30! This shameless man should be sacked immediately!”

Before entering Telangana, Rahul said: “Guru Basavanna taught, ‘Do not steal, do not kill, do not lie, do not be angry, do not be intolerant of others’. The BJP has done exactly the opposite of his teachings in Karnataka.”

He added: “The state that once spearheaded India’s growth story is now known all over for the ‘40 per cent commission government’ that exemplifies the BJP’s model of suit, boot, loot sarkar.

“Corruption at an unprecedented scale - pay for jobs, pay for contracts, pay for public services - there is nothing that is not up for sale for the BJP in Karnataka. The erosion of social harmony and the public sector is paralysing economic progress and hitting the poor and vulnerable the hardest.”

Rahul went on: “The Congress party will not allow this garden of peace to be turned into a laboratory for the BJP’s experiments with hatred and misgovernance. Through the untiring efforts of our state leaders, drawing on the rich cultures of Karnataka, and the support of crores of Kannadigas, that day will soon come when we will unleash Karnataka’s true potential through the path of love, peace and harmony.”

The Yatra will resume after three days on Thursday morning. While Monday and Tuesday represent a Diwali break, Mallikarjun Kharge will formally take over as Congress president on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Raichur, Karnataka, on Sunday PTI Picture

Most of the Yatris on Sunday left for home to celebrate Diwali. Rahul too will visit Delhi and attend the event where Kharge assumes charge. Most Yatris have their first chance to meet their families since the Yatra began on September 7.

Rahul posted a Facebook message that said: “This morning the Bharat Jodo Yatra completed its journey in Karnataka on the 22nd day, walking from the outskirts of the Bandipur forest in Chamarajanagar, through the cultural capital of Mysore, and finally the cotton fields of Raichur, while crossing the Kaveri, Tungabhadra and the Krishna rivers.

“Karnataka’s great poet Kuvempu described this beautiful land as ‘a garden of peace and harmony for all’. These words have been reaffirmed through the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“As the Yatra moved through Karnataka, it became clear that the unbounded potential of its people is being crippled. Farmers growing any crop from every region are struggling to support their families due to rising costs, uncertain yields, and fluctuating prices.”

He added: “The youth are unable to find opportunities that meet their aspirations despite repeated attempts. Small entrepreneurs are shutting shop with inadequate or no support, and a market that is tilted heavily in favour of a few big players.

“MGNREGA workers, women workers, weavers, and many others are staring at shrinking incomes. Disadvantaged sections of society and minorities face a rising tide of hatred and violence. The languages, the diverse cultures and the history of the state are being distorted and decimated.”

Additional reporting from PTI