The man had gone for a meeting at Bangalore's Ravindra Kalashetra, which Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was expected to address.
A man in Bengaluru ended up in police custody today for hurling what he claimed was a "bomb" at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The packet was later found to contain a handful of chocolate eclairs wrapped in a newspaper.
The man, identified as BS Prasad, had gone for a meeting at Bangalore's Ravindra Kalashetra, which Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was expected to address. The Chief Minister spoke at length on the condition of farmers- the state has witnessed 950 farmers' suicides in 2015-16.
But at the end of it, Prasad stood up and asked what the state's Congress government has done for the community of barbers.
Before the Chief Minister could respond, the man threw a packet at Mr Siddaramaiah, shouting there was a bomb in it. The packet landed close to where Union Minister Ananth Kumar and former Chief Justice MN Venkatachaliah were seated on the stage, the police said.
As panic started, security personnel took away the packet and whisked off the man for questioning.
According to preliminary information, BS Prasad, who is in his late 30s, works with the Forest Division of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting senior police officer Sandeep Patil. He is likely to be produced in court on Monday.
The Chief Minister denied the incident was a security breach, saying "Such incidents are common in a democracy."
"I don't know which caste he belongs to, whichever caste is depressed and oppressed we are working for them... Such things are common in a democracy. I have seen such things several times," Mr Siddaramaiah said.