BJP targets Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar for prioritising Rahul Gandhi over German chancellor visit

Bengaluru, Jan 13 (PTI) The opposition BJP on Tuesday took a dig at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for not receiving German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to the city.

The party alleged that the Congress leaders instead chose to be in Mysuru to receive senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, who was transiting to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Accusing the Congress government of "misplaced priorities and missed opportunities", Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly R Ashoka said welcoming the head of government from one of the world’s strongest economies had been relegated to the back seat, while "political loyalty and high command pleasing" were given precedence over Karnataka’s global standing Merz, on the second day of his two-day official visit to India, arrived in Bengaluru and visited the Bosch campus at Adugodi.

He also visited the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science before departing from the city, official sources said.

In a post on 'X', Ashoka said the German chancellor’s visit was of "immense diplomatic, economic and strategic significance" for Karnataka.

"Any other responsible chief minister would have personally ensured that such a visit was accorded the seriousness it deserved—as an opportunity for investment, industry, employment and long-term growth for Karnataka," he said.

"But while the German chancellor landed in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar chose to be in Mysuru to receive Rahul Gandhi, who was merely transiting to Ooty (Gudalur in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu). Let that sink in," Ashoka added.

Calling it more than just "poor optics", the BJP leader said the episode reflected a "deep disregard for the state’s interests." "Karnataka deserves leadership that puts the state before the party, progress before power politics, and global opportunities before political appeasement," he said, adding that the Congress "had failed" the state. PTI KSU SSK