Surjewala, Malviya spar on X over Karnataka issues and Congress leadership rift

A war of words ensued on Friday between Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya over the political developments in Karnataka and the recent visit of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to Delhi.

Amit Malviya, in his post on X, alleged that CM Siddaramaiah faced “humiliation” during his visit to New Delhi, claiming he was denied an appointment by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

Malviya wrote, “He (Siddaramaiah) travelled all the way to the capital, only to be denied an appointment by Rahul Gandhi—and has now returned without even a meeting.” He also drew a parallel with the past, referencing how former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi had sacked Veerendra Patil, calling it a historic insult to a Karnataka leader.
Malviya further claimed that Siddaramaiah was now “forced to hide behind the very man plotting against him—DK Shivakumar,” suggesting an internal power struggle within the Congress’s Karnataka unit.

Responding strongly, Surjewala accused Malviya of peddling lies and launched a detailed counterattack.

Surjewala, in his post on X, described Malviya as “a bizarre whacko” and said the BJP was facing a fratricidal crisis in Karnataka.

He stated that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had visited Delhi to urge the Union government to address Karnataka’s concerns and alleged that the Modi government had consistently shown “inimical hatred” towards the state.

Surjewala listed several pending issues, including alleged denial of funds, refusal to notify the award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 and a lack of clearances for major irrigation and drinking water projects, such as Upper Bhadra, Yettinahole, Kalasa-Banduri, and Mekedatu.

He also pointed to the Rs 1.87 lakh crore he claimed was denied to Karnataka by the Centre under the 15th Finance Commission and accused the government of not allocating the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) despite repeated requests.

The Congress leader concluded his post demanding answers from the BJP and Modi government on these issues, stating that the people of Karnataka deserve accountability.