Bengaluru: An incident in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah allegedly declined to accept a photograph of Mantralaya Raghavendra Swamy given to him by a devotee has once again become a topic of discussion.

The matter has drawn renewed attention after Siddaramaiah resigned from the Chief Minister's post on Thursday (May 28), a day considered especially significant for the worship of Raghavendra Swamy. Many people are now discussing the coincidence and drawing their own interpretations.

The incident took place in January this year. As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was leaving his residence and had taken his seat in a car, a devotee approached him and offered a photograph of Raghavendra Swamy. Siddaramaiah reportedly pushed it away with his left hand and declined to accept it. The incident attracted criticism from BJP leaders, Hindu organisations and several others.

Reacting strongly to the incident at the time, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jaggesh posted a message on X.

In his post, he wrote: "There is no history of anyone prospering after insulting Rayaru. Millions of devotees perform prayers, penance, spiritual practices and fasting seeking even a small blessing from Rayaru. This is the first time in my life that I have seen someone reject something offered with such devotion. Rayaru is there... He will rise... We must wait!!. Jai Hind."