Yeddyurappa Calls Karnataka Number One 'Corrupt State', Siddaramaiah Reminds him of Kannada Swabhiman

Bengaluru: By calling Karnataka "No. 1 corrupt state", the BJP's CM face BS Yeddyurappa seems to have scored a self goal. A few minutes before PM Modi's special plane touched the tarmac at Bengaluru's HAL airport, chief minister Siddaramaiah took a jibe at Modi in a welcome tweet.

He welcomed the PM to one of the most progressive states, which is also number one in investments and job creation, according to latest data. His tweet went viral.

A few minutes later, Yeddyurappa angrily reacted to his tweet calling Karnataka number one corrupt state in India. In his eagerness to please the party bosses, the BJP's CM-in-waiting perhaps forgot that he too was at the helm for three and a half years. His tweet drew sharp reactions.

In July 2011, the BJP high command had ordered Yeddyurappa to quit as Karnataka CM after the then Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde indicted him in a mining scam worth over Rs 50,000 crore.

Siddaramaiah, who is highly active on social media, hit back at Yeddyurappa calling it a great irony.

"Says a man who presided over India’s biggest mining scam during his rule. Only a person totally lacking in #KannadaSwabhimana can call Karnataka, one of the most progressive states in India, No. 1 Corrupt State.

A few minutes later, state Congress president Dr. G Parameshwara held a press meet to give a point by point rebuttal to Modi's charges against Congress Government in the state. He said the speech was full of lies and Modi was misinformed by his own men about Karnataka.

He said: "Karnataka is not one of the top ten states when it comes to crime, etc. Top ten states are BJP ruled UP, Bihar, MP, etc. He should talk about that."

Lashing out at Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the former can't be trusted as he has rubbished his own state to curry favour with RSS.

Yeddyurappa's tweet has now led to a war of words between Congress and BJP supporters.