From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jan 8: Even though Karnataka’s assembly polls are at least four months away, the war of words between ruling Congress and BJP is getting nasty in the social media with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath slugging it out against each other.
Joining issue with Yogi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asked him to read what Swami Vivekananda had said on cow slaughter before questioning his credentials as a Hindu for "promoting beef."
Hitting back at Yogi, Siddramaiah wrote in Kannada that the Hindutva he follows is "defined by the principles of Swami Vivekananda, and not those of Nathuram Godse," who had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.
"Before giving us lessons on gau-hatya read what Swami Vivekananda said on the issue. This is what I ask CM Yogi Adityanath," the Chief Minister tweeted.
In another sharply worded tweet, Siddaramaiah asked: "Who are these people to question our food choices. A lot of Hindus eat beet. If I want to eat it, I will", and said: "Who are they to object it? I don’t eat beef only because I don’t like it."
The Chief Minister’s harsh response to Yogi following the latter’s scathing attack against Siddaramaiah during his recent visit to Karnataka asking him (Siddaramaiah) to prove that he is a Hindu by banning beef in the State in response to the comment that he was also a Hindu and the Hindu religion was not BJP’s monopoly.
"He cannot be a Hindu and promote consumption of beef. When the BJP was in power here, we enacted a law prohibiting cow slaughter. The Congress government repealed that law," Yogi said amidst cheers from BJP supporters.
Yogi said Siddaramaiah has only now remembered his Hindu roots because of the approaching election. "Siddaramaiah calls himself a Hindu just as Congress President Rahul Gandhi went to temple after temple during the Gujarat election," he claimed.
On Sunday, Adityanth alleged in a tweet, "I heard the number of farmers committing suicides in Karnataka was highest in your regime, not to mention the numerous deaths and transfers of honest officers."
Siddaramaiah said Adityanath can learn a lot from Karnataka. "I welcome UP CM Shri @myogiadityanath to our state. There is a lot you can learn from us Sir. When you are here please visit a Indira Canteen & a ration shop. It will help you address the starvation deaths sometimes reported from your state. #YogiInBengaluru," tweeted Siddaramaiah.