New Delhi, Dec 28 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a fierce critique of Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, charging that the party's leadership has been humiliating Karnataka's local leaders and disrespecting the state's populace.

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took to X to compare the leadership dynamics of Congress from the past to the present, highlighting the public humiliation of former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Patil during the administration of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

“Initially, it was Rajiv Gandhi who publicly shamed the illustrious Karnataka leader Shri Veerendra Patil. Now, years later, we see AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal schooling Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on state governance,” Malviya stated.

“It’s shocking that a democratically elected Chief Minister from Karnataka is being criticized publicly by a party official in Delhi. If every decision must be approved by Rahul Gandhi's inner circle, then why even have a Cabinet elected by the people of Karnataka? This high-command culture is not only an insult to Karnataka's leaders; it is an affront to the people of Karnataka themselves,” he continued.

His comments were made in response to Venugopal's post on X where he discussed his meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar about the demolition of illegal structures.

Venugopal mentioned he had urged the two leaders to handle the recent demolition initiative in Kogilu village near Yelahanka in Bengaluru with empathy, considering the human impact involved.

This attack from the BJP coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio show Mann Ki Baat, wherein he emphasized the significance of safeguarding India's linguistic and cultural heritage, while also commending efforts to enhance the Kannada language.

During the program, PM Modi remarked that the endeavor to stay connected with cultural roots extends beyond India, with Indians abroad actively preserving their heritage.

He pointed out the example of Kannada-speaking families in Dubai, who questioned, “As our children excel in the tech world, are they drifting away from their language?” This led to the creation of 'Kannada Pathshale,' an initiative aimed at teaching children to read, write, learn, and communicate in Kannada, with over a thousand children currently involved. Indeed, Kannada Nadu, Nudi Namma Hemme (translated as - The land and language of Kannada are our pride).

This political discourse is occurring amidst an ongoing conflict between Kannada and Hindi in Karnataka. The Congress-led state government is advocating for Kannada to be prominently featured on shop signboards, leading to deadlines that have stirred controversy, negative media coverage, and tensions.

In late 2025, the Chief Minister continued to criticize the Centre for what he described as Hindi imposition, framing it as a grievance against Kannada. The Centre has consistently denied these claims, asserting that the choice of Hindi in educational institutions is optional.