Bengaluru, 12 July

A war of words ensued on Friday between Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and BJP IT cell Chief Amit Malviya over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recent visit to Delhi.

Malviya, in his post on X, alleged that Siddaramaiah faced "humiliation" in Delhi, claiming he was denied an appointment by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

Malviya wrote, "He (Siddaramaiah) travelled all the way to the capital, only to be denied an appointment by Rahul—and has now returned without even a meeting."

He also drew a parallel with the past, referencing how former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi had sacked Veerendra Patil, calling it a historic insult to a State leader.

Malviya further claimed that Siddaramaiah was now "forced to hide behind the very man plotting against him—DK Shivakumar,” alluding to the alleged internal power struggle.

Responding strongly, Surjewala accused Malviya of peddling lies.

Surjewala, in his post on X, described Malviya as "a bizarre whacko" and said the BJP was facing a fratricidal crisis in State.

He stated that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had visited Delhi to urge the Union government to address Karnataka’s concerns and alleged that the Modi government had consistently shown "inimical hatred" towards the state.

Surjewala listed several pending issues, including alleged denial of funds, refusal to notify the award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 and a lack of clearances for major irrigation and drinking water projects, such as Upper Bhadra, Yettinahole, Kalasa-Banduri, and Mekedatu.

On the other hand, Siddaramaiah said his primary purpose in Delhi was to discuss Mysuru's Dasara Air Show with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He added that Rahul was committed to bring positive change to State, while the BJP betrayed Kannadigas.