To Siddaramaiah's 'Welcome' Barb, Yogi Adityanath's Stinging Comeback

Bengaluru: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's no-holds barred attack on the Congress government at a big rally in Bengaluru on Sunday drew a sharp jibe from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who told the "visiting dignitary" to pick up tips during his stay to check starvation deaths back home in Uttar Pradesh.

"There is a lot you can learn from us Sir. When you are here please visit a Indira Canteen and a ration shop. It will help you address the starvation deaths sometimes reported from your state," Karnataka Chief Minister tweeted, welcoming Yogi Adityanath to the state with a barb.

"We're solving historical challenges in HDI (human development index) with a robust welfare program, and India's most effective Industrial policies," Mr Siddaramaiah said, patting himself on his back for what he called was his "Karnataka Model of Governance".

On Twitter, Yogi Adityanath didn't let the swipe pass without a comeback. "I heard number of farmers committing suicide in Karnataka was highest in your regime, not to mention the numerous deaths and transfer of honest officers," the UP Chief Minister tweeted in response.

According to national crime statistics, Karnataka records the third largest number of farm-related suicides in the country, next only to Maharashtra and Telangana.

Yogi Adityanath, seen as the BJP's Hindutva mascot, was the party's star campaigner at a rally in the state capital on Sunday where he was introduced as the Chief Minister who had shut down illegal slaughter houses in the state and had made Uttar Pradesh into a state where cows were protected.

Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP had held power. But its rule from 2008 to 2013 saw three chief ministers, factional wars and corruption charges that led to the return of Congress to power in 2013. The BJP has been anxious that when the state votes for the 224-seat assembly in April-May this year, the party gets another shot at power.

At the rally, the saffron-robed Chief Minister accused Mr Siddaramaiah of pushing development in the state by five years. He also targeted Mr Siddaramaiah for remembering his Hindu roots, "just as Congress president Rahul Gandhi went to temple after temple during the Gujarat election," he said.

But, the monk-politician added according to news agency Press Trust of India, calling himself a Hindu will not suffice till he continues to endorse eating beef.

"When the BJP government was there in Karnataka, it had passed an anti-cow slaughter law, but the Congress revoked it," he claimed.