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Himanta Sarma lauds Bommai after PayCM jibe vs DNA dig over Kharge pic
Himanta Biswa Sarma and Kiren Rijiju praised the “simplicity” of Basavaraj Bommai.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders launched a renewed attack on the Congress days after a picture of Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at a media conclave in Bengaluru recently triggered a political mudslinging.
In the picture, Bommai can be seen greeting Kharge with folded hands and exchanging pleasantries. However, a Congress leader's tweet and veteran politician Siddaramaiah's “corrupt Lingayat CM” comment have triggered a war of words between the two parties ahead of the Karnataka assembly election.
Now, on Monday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union law minister Kiren Rijiju joined in, praising the “simplicity” of Bommai.
“Arrogance vs SIMPLICITY. Kudos to Shri @BSBommai ji for displaying utmost humility and simplicity despite occupying the high office of Chief Minister of Karnataka,” Sarma tweeted.
Asking people for a caption while sharing the picture, Rijiju tweeted, “One is BJP Chief Minister & the other Congress Party President.”
Earlier Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate captioned the photo as
“Outgoing PayCM seeking forgiveness for looting Karnataka”.
This comes at a time when Congress leader Siddaramaiah made a sharp comment on BJP's Lingayat push in the state and said, "A Lingayat chief minister is the root of all corruption in the state."
Hitting back, the BJP accused the Congress of insulting the Lingayat community. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Bommai showed the best example of political courtesy to Kharge as he folded his hand. "Insulting the Lingayat community is the DNA of the Congress," Shehzada tweeted.
Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar said the chief minister respecting Kharge has been converted into abuse. "Voters of Karnataka will show these leaders their rightful place," the minister said.
Siddaramaiah defended his statement and said it is regrettable that the Lingayat leaders of the BJP cannot see the actual enemy and are blaming the Congress for being anti-Lingayat. He clarified that his statement was not for the community but for one particular CM.
