CM is unsettled by PM’s remarks: BJP

Taking serious exception to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of belittling the Prime Ministerial post by making political remarks on the Congress government, the Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Monday maintained that the Prime Minister’s speech had clearly unsettled him.

“The PM’s speech has clearly unsettled you because he spoke 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,” Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok told the Chief Minister in a social media post.

Maintaining that the Prime Minister was addressing a party programme when he made such remarks, he said: “First of all, Sunday’s event at HAL Airport was not a government function. It was a BJP State unit’s programme organised by lakhs of dedicated karyakartas to celebrate the historic victories in West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry. At a political event, the Prime Minister has every democratic right to make political remarks.”

He said, “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.”

“PM Modi spoke the truth. That is what hurts you the most,” he told the Chief Minister, adding, “Instead of getting rattled by PM’s words, you should answer the real questions troubling Karnataka.”