No Rahul-Siddaramaiah meeting: BJP calls it ‘humiliation’ of Karnataka CM
The BJP also accused the Gandhis of “treating Kannadigas with disdain”
Amid rumours of a leadership change in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was allegedly snubbed by Rahul Gandhi during the former’s visit to Delhi on Thursday (July 10).
Also read: Siddaramaiah rejects leadership change rumours again
Siddaramaiah was in Delhi for three days and is set to return to Bengaluru today (July 11). Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar too was in the national capital.
What Siddaramaiah said
In Delhi, Siddaramaiah was asked by the media whether he would meet Rahul, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. To this, he said he had sought an appointment but could not get one.
Also read: MUDA case: HC issues notice to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, her brother
“I sought an appointment to meet Rahul Gandh Ji today. He has not given any appointment to me. So far, no information,” Siddaramaiah said when asked about him meeting Rahul.
However, Siddaramaiah met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, in Delhi.
BJP's jibes
Reacting to the development, the BJP accused Rahul of “insulting” Siddaramaiah and also termed it as “humiliation” for Karnataka Chief Minister.
“Humiliation in Delhi for Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah! He travelled all the way to the capital, only to be denied an appointment by Rahul Gandhi — and has now returned without even a meeting,” BJP leader Amit Malviya said in a post on X, accompanied by Siddaramaiah’s video.
The party also accused the Gandhis of “treating Kannadigas with disdain”.
“This isn’t the first time a Gandhi has insulted a senior leader from Karnataka. History remembers how Rajiv Gandhi unceremoniously sacked an ailing Veerendra Patil, triggering the Congress’s downfall in the state. Now, a weakened Siddaramaiah is forced to hide behind the very man plotting against him — DK Shivakumar, who is eagerly waiting to take his chair. The Congress, and the Gandhis in particular, have always treated Kannadigas with disdain. This is just the latest example,” he added.