BJP's Amit Malviya slammed Congress leader KC Venugopal, accusing the party of undermining Karnataka's elected leadership with its 'high-command culture'. The criticism came after Venugopal conveyed AICC's concerns over demolitions in Bengaluru.
BJP Slams Congress 'High-Command Culture'
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell head Amit Malviya on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, accusing the party of continuing its "high-command culture" and undermining the authority of Karnataka's elected leadership. In a post on X, Malviya drew parallels between past and present leadership styles within the Congress, referring to the alleged public humiliation of former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Patil during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"First it was Rajiv Gandhi who publicly humiliated the towering Karnataka leader Shri Veerendra Patil. Now, decades later, the pattern repeats, with AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal lecturing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on how to run the state," he said in X post.
Taking a swipe at the Congress high command, the BJP leader questioned the authority of party leaders based in Delhi over an elected state government. "It is astonishing that a Chief Minister elected by the people of Karnataka is being publicly admonished by a party functionary sitting in Delhi. If all decisions must be cleared by Rahul Gandhi's coterie, why have a Cabinet chosen by the people of Karnataka at all?" he added. Malviya further alleged that such interventions reflect a deeper issue within the Congress party's internal functioning. "This high-command culture is not just an insult to Karnataka's leadership, it is an insult to the people of Karnataka themselves," he said.
LoP R Ashoka Calls it 'Blatant Overreach'
Meanwhile, LoP in the Karnataka Assembly and BJP leader R Ashoka also slammed KC Venugopal's intervention. "Who is K C Venugopal to "intervene" in the administration of Karnataka? Is he a Super CM, or does the Congress high command believe elected state governments function on Delhi diktats? Karnataka is governed by a constitutionally elected Chief Minister and Cabinet, not by an AICC General Secretary. Expressing a party opinion is one thing, issuing moral sermons and pressure tactics on a state government is blatant overreach and an insult to federalism," he said.
The Trigger: Venugopal's Post on Demolitions
These remarks follow Congress leader KC Venugopal's X post about his conversation with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar regarding the demolition of unauthorised construction. He added that he conveyed the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) humanitarian concerns regarding the actions being taken.
"Spoke to Karnataka CM @siddaramaiah and DCM @DKShivakumar regarding the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Kogilu village, Bengaluru. Conveyed the AICC's serious concern that such actions should have been undertaken with far greater caution, sensitivity, and compassion, keeping the human impact at the centre," Congress MP wrote.
He further mentioned that the state's leaders have assured that they will personally look into the matter. "They have assured that they will personally engage with the affected families, put in place an appropriate mechanism for addressing grievances, and ensure rehabilitation and relief for those impacted," KC Venugopal concluded.
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