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Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, the BJP accused CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar of abandoning official duties during a high-profile international visit
On his way to Tamil Nadu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
stopped in Mysuru and was welcomed by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar on January 13, 2025. (Image: @siddaramaiah/X)
The BJP targeted the ruling Congress in Karnataka for “snubbing” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who visited Bengaluru on Tuesday, to greet party MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, the BJP accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar of abandoning their official duties during a high-profile international visit. The party, which is in opposition in Karnataka, alleged that the state’s top leadership was conspicuously absent during Merz’s visit to Bengaluru choosing instead to go to Mysuru, from where Gandhi was simply passing through to go to Tamil Nadu.
Merz arrived in Bengaluru on the second day of his official visit to India, touring key technological hubs including the Bosch campus at Adugodi and the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The BJP alleged that despite the “immense diplomatic, economic and strategic significance” of the visit, the state’s top two leaders were absent from the city.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, R Ashoka characterised the move as a case of “misplaced priorities and missed opportunities”. He argued that any responsible chief minister would have personally ensured the visit was accorded the seriousness it deserved to secure “investment, industry, employment and long-term growth for Karnataka”. Instead, he said, welcoming the head of one of the world’s strongest economies was “relegated to the back seat”.
“Misplaced priorities Missed opportunities Today, the German Federal Chancellor visited Karnataka – a moment of immense diplomatic, economic and strategic significance for our state. Any other responsible Chief Minsiter would have personally ensured that such a visit was accorded the seriousness it deserved – as an opportunity for investment, industry, employment and long-term growth for Karnataka. But look at the situation today. While the German Chancellor landed in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar chose to be in Mysuru to receive Rahul Gandhi, who was merely transiting to Ooty. Let that sink in. Welcoming the head of state from one of the world’s strongest economies was relegated to the back seat,” Ashoka wrote in a lengthy post on X.
Misplaced prioritiesMissed opportunitiesToday, the German Federal Chancellor visited Karnataka – a moment of immense diplomatic, economic and strategic significance for our state.Any other responsible Chief Minsiter would have personally ensured that such a visit was… https://t.co/pDjq5Oj6q2 pic.twitter.com/t8k981Q60K— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) January 13, 2026
Local BJP leaders accused the Congress of betraying the what was in the interest of Karnataka, suggesting that internal political loyalty and the desire for “high command pleasing” took precedence over the state’s global standing. While the German chancellor was engaging with Bengaluru’s tech sector, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were in Mysuru.
“Political loyalty and ‘high command pleasing’ took priority over Karnataka’s global standing. This is not just bad optics – it reflects a deep disregard for the state’s interests,” Ashoka said.
The BJP highlighted a perceived hypocrisy, noting that the Congress often creates a “big furore” when their leaders are excluded from official banquets for foreign dignitaries, yet they “choose to ignore” such occasions when a foreign leader visits their own state. It suggested that this episode is a symptom of the ongoing power tussle within the state leadership, where demonstrating loyalty to party leadership outweighs governance.
Ashoka claimed that the incident was more than just “poor optics”; it reflected a “deep disregard for the state’s interests” and a preference for “power politics” over “global opportunities”.
“Karnataka deserves leadership that puts the state before the party, progress before power politics, and global opportunities before political appeasement,” he said, adding that the Congress government has “failed” the state.
(With PTI inputs)
January 13, 2026, 22:45 IST
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