Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Monday, 11 May sharply hit back at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a speech delivered in Bengaluru, asserting that the Prime Minister had merely voiced what 7 crore Kannadigas feel every day about the state government's internal power struggles. Ashoka accused the Congress government of being paralysed by factional politics since taking office.

Ashoka's Defence of Modi's Remarks

In a strongly worded statement, Ashoka said Modi's remarks had "clearly unsettled" Siddaramaiah because the Prime Minister had spoken about what "7 crore Kannadigas are feeling every single day about the power-sharing circus and constant infighting that has paralysed your government from day one," according to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.

Ashoka clarified that the event in question — held at HAL Airport in Bengaluru on Sunday — was not an official government function but a political programme organised by the BJP's Karnataka unit to celebrate the party's electoral victories in West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry. "At a political event, the Prime Minister has every democratic right to make political remarks," he stated.

Hypocrisy Charge Against Siddaramaiah

Ashoka also accused Siddaramaiah of hypocrisy for questioning the Prime Minister's "dignity" and "decorum" in political speeches. "It is ironic that you are lecturing others about dignity and decorum. The same Siddaramaiah who politicises even the Budget speech, turns the Governor's address into a Congress pamphlet, and attacks constitutional institutions daily, is now suddenly preaching parliamentary propriety," he said.

This comes amid a broader pattern of escalating political friction between the BJP-led Opposition and the Congress state government, with both sides trading accusations over governance and political conduct ahead of local body elections.

Questions Over Congress Infighting

Ashoka further demanded that Siddaramaiah answer what he called the "real questions troubling Karnataka," pressing the Chief Minister on why the government was "paralysed by CM-chair bargaining" and why Congress leaders were "openly fighting for power every day." He argued that governance had taken a backseat to factional politics within the ruling party.

Notably, the Congress government in Karnataka has faced persistent speculation about leadership tensions since assuming office, with reports of friction between Siddaramaiah's camp and that of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar — though both leaders have publicly denied any rift.

BJP's Closing Assertion

Concluding his statement, Ashoka asserted that Modi had "spoken the truth," adding that this was precisely what had hurt the Chief Minister the most. The BJP's pushback signals that the party intends to keep Karnataka's internal Congress tensions at the centre of its political messaging in the state. How Siddaramaiah responds — and whether the Congress government can present a unified front — will be closely watched in the days ahead.