Outrage over Janardhan Reddy's 'curse' remark

Netizens came out in support of former chief minister Siddaramaiah after he posted a stirring tweet directed at mining czar G Janardhan Reddy for commenting on his son Rakesh Siddaramaiah’s death.

In an interview aired by a private news channel, Reddy is heard referring to Rakesh’s death — without taking his name — as “God’s punishment” because Siddaramaiah “got me separated from my own children”.

Reddy, the former BJP minister, goes on to cite a mythological story of how King Dasharatha was cursed by the parents of a boy who gets killed by his arrow that was meant to kill a deer. “I’ve suffered whatever I had to, but God has punished those responsible for it.”

On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah took to Twitter for his response: “Janardhan Reddy has said my son’s death was a punishment that God gave me. I will pray to God, for Reddy’s sins, his children should not be punished.” The tweet written in Kannada went viral on Tuesday, with netizens condemning Reddy’s “distasteful” remark.

In July 2016, Rakesh Siddaramaiah (39) died of multiple organ failure in Belgium.