BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday came close to a gun-wielding man while he was in an open vehicle and garlanded Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy standing next to him.

The incident took place at Bhairasandra in the city when Siddaramaiah was campaigning for Reddy's daughter and Congress Lok Sabha candidate Soumya Reddy.

The man, whom police identified as Riyaz, suddenly boarded the vehicle with a gun tied on his waist.

Raising slogans in support of the Congress, Riyaz garlanded Reddy, his daughter Soumya and others.

When he was getting down from the vehicle, Siddaramaiah and other people present in the vehicle noticed the gun.

Police said that Riyaz has been carrying a gun since the fatal attack on him a few years ago and has been given exemption from surrendering his gun.

In a post on microblogging site 'X', BJP targeted the Chief Minister and said that this proves that those who garlanded Siddaramaiah are goons, miscreants and road raiders.

"Gun-wielding miscreants, who used to be seen in birthday posters, are no longer posing with guns in front of the society and garlanding the CM and Deputy CM at rallies. Though the election code of conduct is in place, there is no risk of intimidation of voters in the area. carrying guns and holding such demonstrations,” the party said.