A woman placed a peck on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cheek at a public meeting here on Sunday, leaving him visibly embarrassed. The incident happened at a programme to felicitate newly elected members of zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats, organised by the Karnataka Pradesha Kuruba Sangha at palace grounds here. Standing next to chief minister for a group photo, Girija Srinivas, who is Tarikere Taluk Panchayat member from Amruthapura in Chikmagalur district, all of a sudden in her moment of joy gave a peck on his cheek and walked away. Siddaramaiah, visibly embarrassed by the incident, wiped his cheek with a big smile. The Karnataka Chief Minister hails from Kuruba community. Speaking to a TV channel, the woman said she was happy that the chief minister was also a Kuruba, and called him a "lion of the community". "I was overjoyed by the fact that I was standing next to him. My family and I have always called him Appaji (father)." She also clarified that placing a peck on Siddaramaiah's cheek was not preplanned. Srinivas hails from Varuna in Mysuru district which is Siddaramaiah's assembly constituency. She is married to a man from Chikmagalur. Speaking to reporters Siddaramaiah said, "that girl is like my daughter."
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