Controversy erupts over K’taka CM’s absence from Shivamogga bridge inauguration event; Siddaramaiah alleges protocol violation

A political controversy erupted in Karnataka over the absence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from the inauguration of a flyover in Shivamogga, scheduled for Monday, July 14. The state government said that it had requested Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to postpone the event as the chief minister was not informed in advance.

“A bridge has been constructed in Shivamogga with the help of the Centre. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari wanted to inaugurate the bridge. The CM had requested him to postpone because he wouldn’t be able to attend the inauguration program. If it had been postponed, then the CM would also have been able to attend the programme,” said Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara.

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Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar echoed the home minister, stating that the state government had spent Rs 2,000 crore on the construction of the bridge, yet the Union government didn’t inform the Chief Minister.

“The central government should inform the CM first. The state government should be taken into confidence. The CM has also written a letter regarding this. When doing such a programme, the CM should be informed a month in advance. This is a very big program. We spent more than 2000 crores rupees from our irrigation department. If we had been informed in advance, I would have participated in that programme,” Shivakumar said.

Violation of protocol, alleges Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that the Centre has violated the protocol, and no one from his government is participating in the program as a mark of protest.

“I had called Nitin Gadkari and asked him to postpone the program. He said he would postpone it. But now, bowing to the pressure from local BJP leaders, they are going ahead with the event. I have not received any invitation. We always extend cooperation to railway projects — they invite us for those. But here, protocol has been violated,” said Siddaramaiah.

The Karnataka CM further added: “As a mark of protest, none of us is participating in the program. Congress MLAs from the region, the District Minister, and the Minister for Public Works are all staying away. They are deliberately creating a rift between the Central and state governments.”

Earlier, Siddaramaiah wrote a letter to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and complained about not being informed about the inauguration programme in advance. He had also urged the minister to postpone the event and reschedule it for another date in coordination with the state government.