Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah was just minutes into his speech on the Mysuru gang-rape case in the Assembly when Karnataka Congress president walked up to him and whispered into his ears.
It was a confidential message.
"Oh, yeah?" Siddaramaiah blurted. And the secret was out. The Congress leader's dhoti had slipped down from his waist.
"My dhoti has slipped," Siddaramaiah announced, launching into an almost self-deprecating laughter. "I will continue my speech after I fix it."
This light-hearted episode lasted a little over two minutes, giving the Assembly a much-needed break from monotony. And, Siddaramaiah who is known for his humour, made full use of it.
With Siddaramaiah having gone back to his seat to tie his dhoti back up, former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar could not hold back his thoughts. "Our party president DK Shivakumar tried to keep it discreet to save the party's honour, but Siddaramaiah told the whole world about it," Kumar quipped. "Shivakumar's efforts went in vain."
BJP MLA Kumar Bangarappa, officiating in the Speaker's chair, was uncontrollably laughing.
Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath, a back-bencher, pointed out that Siddaramaiah need not worry as the treasury benches were empty.
Siddaramaiah went on to explain that he had trouble with his clothes of late as he had put on some weight, especially after he tested positive for Covid-19 in August last year. "My dhoti never slipped before. But after Covid, I put on some 4-5 kg weight. My belly has really bulged. My dhoti just doesn't stay," he said.
Incidentally, it was on September 22, 1921, that Mahatma Gandhi made a vow to stick to dhoti and shawl as his attire, to connect with the masses of the country.
"Some people wear a single piece of cloth that stretches down till their toes," Siddaramaiah said. "They neither wear a lungi nor a pant." His long kurta saved the day. "I got it stitched expressly for protection when such things happen."
Meanwhile, jumping into the humourous banter, Rural Development Minister KS Eshwarappa asked Siddaramaiah if he needed help with his dhoti. Siddaramaiah's quick response was that he wouldn't take help from the ruling party and, if needed, he would rely on his own partymen.
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