NEW DELHI: Karnataka’s opposition BJP on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for allegedly giving priority to Rahul Gandhi over German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who landed in Bengaluru on his visit to India.The allegations follow Congress leaders’ presence in Mysuru to receive senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, who was in transit to neighboring Tamil Nadu.In a post on He said the chief minister’s welcome from one of the world’s strongest economies had been pushed to the background while “political loyalty and favoritism to the high command” took precedence over Karnataka’s global standing.The LoP wrote, “Whose interests come first, those of Karnataka or those of the high command? Today, the German Chancellor – one of the most powerful economic forces in the world – has arrived in our Karnataka. Any responsible chief minister would welcome such a global leader and use this meeting for the progress of the state. They would consider this meeting with a global leader as a golden opportunity to boost investments, job creation and industrial development in our state.”Furthermore, he accused the leaders of betraying Karnataka. “This is not just a lapse in protocol; it is a betrayal of Karnataka’s interests,” he wrote.On the second day of his two-day official visit to India, Merz arrived in Bengaluru and visited the Bosch campus in Adugodi.According to official sources, he also visited the Center for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science before leaving the city.Ashoka further added that the German Chancellor’s visit was of “immense diplomatic, economic and strategic importance” for Karnataka. “But while the German Chancellor landed in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar chose to be in Mysuru to receive Rahul Gandhi, who was just in transit to Ooty (Gudalur in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu). Let that sink in,” Ashoka added.“Karnataka deserves a leadership that puts state over party, progress over power politics and global opportunities over political appeasement,” he said, adding that the Congress has “failed” the state.
