Congress, BJP spar over Siddaramaiah’s Delhi visit and Karnataka leadership row

Clarifying the purpose of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar’s visit to Delhi, Surjewala said the two leaders were in the capital to urge the Union government to resolve pressing issues concerning Karnataka.

A political face-off erupted on Friday between Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya over recent political developments in Karnataka and the Delhi visit of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Amit Malviya, taking to microblogging site X, alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was "humiliated" during his visit to New Delhi, claiming he was denied an appointment by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

“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,” Malviya wrote.

Drawing a historical parallel, he likened the episode to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dismissal of Karnataka CM Veerendra Patil, calling it a "historic insult." He further claimed that Siddaramaiah is now “forced to hide behind the very man plotting against him—DK Shivakumar,” hinting at an internal power tussle within the state Congress unit.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala hit back sharply, accusing Malviya of spreading lies and indulging in cheap political theatrics.

In a strongly worded response on X, Surjewala labelled Malviya a “bizarre whacko” and alleged that it was the BJP that was reeling under a “fratricidal crisis” in Karnataka.

Clarifying the purpose of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar’s visit to Delhi, Surjewala said the two leaders were in the capital to urge the Union government to resolve pressing issues concerning Karnataka. He accused the Modi government of showing "inimical hatred" towards the state by deliberately ignoring its long-standing demands.

Among the issues raised by Surjewala were the alleged denial of Rs 1.87 lakh crore to Karnataka under the 15th Finance Commission, the Centre’s refusal to notify the award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2, and the lack of clearances for key irrigation and drinking water projects such as Upper Bhadra, Yettinahole, Kalasa-Banduri, and Mekedatu.

He also lashed out at the Centre for not releasing funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) despite multiple appeals by the state government. Surjewala concluded by demanding accountability from the BJP-led Union government, asserting that the people of Karnataka deserve honest answers and effective governance.