War of words between BJP and Karnataka minister over Urdu advertisement
Bengaluru (PTI): The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP on Wednesday engaged in a war of words over an Urdu advertisement published in an Urdu daily regarding a Health Department programme.
The Karnataka government today launched the "Kusuma Sanjeevini" programme of "prophylactic treatment" for haemophilia patients and free ambulance services.
Advertisements for the event were published in various publications, including some Urdu dailies published from Karnataka.
The advertisement in Urdu dailies were in Urdu language, which has become a bone of contention.
The BJP accused the Congress government of neglecting Kannada and indulging in appeasement politics by allegedly issuing an official invitation in Urdu, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao hit back, stating that it was only a newspaper advertisement meant to reach Urdu readers.
"For the sake of appeasement politics, the anti-Kannada, anti-State Congress government is even neglecting Kannada!" the BJP said in a post on 'X', substantiating its charge that the invitation for launching preventive treatment and ambulance services had been published entirely in Urdu.
The BJP further questioned the government, stating, "CM Siddaramaiah, DCM D K Shivakumar - is the administrative language of Karnataka Kannada or Urdu?" It also targeted the health minister, asking, "Who gave you the authority to issue an official government invitation in Urdu just because you speak Urdu at home?"
The party told Rao, "Speak Urdu in your home if you wish, but remember that Kannada is the administrative language of Karnataka."
The 'speak Urdu' jibe was apparently aimed at Rao's wife Tabassum who is a Muslim and is often targeted by the BJP leaders for her faith.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, the CM said when the BJP was in power, they did nothing. When they are in the Opposition, they have made it a habit to protest.
"When giving advertisements, shouldn't we give them to Urdu newspapers as well?" Siddaramaiah sought to know.
Responding sharply to the charges, Rao accused the BJP of misleading the public.
"Have BJP leaders become so intellectually bankrupt that they cannot distinguish between an official invitation and a newspaper advertisement? Or are they determined to mislead the public at any cost?" he posted on 'X.'
He defended the department's action, stating, "There was no official invitation issued in Urdu here. Publishing advertisements in the language of a particular newspaper to ensure information reaches its readers is a routine administrative practice."
The minister also countered the BJP by referring to past governments.
"When B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai were in power, were advertisements not published in Urdu newspapers? By your own logic, does that mean all BJP leaders who issued advertisements in Urdu back then were 'anti-national'," he asked.
Extending a conciliatory note amid the political sparring, he said, "Since you are showing such excessive curiosity about the language spoken in our homes, I extend a cordial invitation - please visit our home. We would be happy to host you."
The minister also shared a series of advertisements in Urdu published by the BJP when it was in power in the state.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
