Bengaluru: Allegations flew thick and fast as Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accused the Centre of disregarding protocol by not inviting him for the inauguration of Sigandur bridge in Shivamogga, even as Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari maintained that an invite was extended to the chief minister.
Earlier Monday, Gadkari inaugurated the 2.44-km cable-stayed bridge connecting Kalasavalli and Ambaragodlu. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 473 crore, it is the country’s second longest cable-stayed bridge.
Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru later in the day that he wasn’t invited for the inauguration. “I called Nitin Gadkari and he told me he would postpone the event. After that I also wrote a letter. I think the BJP pressured him and they have gone ahead with the inauguration,” he said. The chief minister said he had a prior engagement in Vijayapura.
In the letter he wrote to Gadkari on 11 July, Siddaramaiah said he was not consulted before finalising the state-level programme.
Adding, “As a sign of protest, none of us (from the government), including the PWD minister, district in charge minister or Sagar MLA will not attend the event.”
I was not consulted before finalising the Shivamogga National Highway projects’ dedication & foundation ceremony on July 14th, despite my name being included.
Due to prior commitments in Vijayapura, I have written to Shri @nitin_gadkari requesting the event be rescheduled. pic.twitter.com/mrHHsVS0ma
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 14, 2025
Gadkari shot back in a post on X, saying an official invite was extended to Siddaramaiah on 11 July. To mitigate any challenges with the chief minister’s schedule, another letter was sent on 12 July, requesting his virtual presence, the Union minister said.
Adding, “The Central Government continues to uphold established protocols and has consistently appreciated the contributions and cooperation of the Government of Karnataka and the Chief Minister.”
In a major step towards boosting regional connectivity, the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony for multiple key infrastructure projects is being held today in Shivamogga, Karnataka.
An official invitation was duly extended to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri… pic.twitter.com/yDPbRdsygd
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 14, 2025
The Congress government in Karnataka has time and again accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of ‘step-motherly’ treatment towards the state. Siddaramaiah has championed the cause to demand higher share in central taxes and the devolution pool, arguing for a more equitable distribution of taxes collected from the states.
The Congress has even used this line of reasoning to justify higher borrowings, besides big-ticket allocations for the party’s five poll guarantees which cost the exchequer Rs 52000 crore guarantee each year.
“Even when the state government has contributed 75 percent of the project cost, like in Railways where we give the land and bear 50 percent of the cost, we invite the centre,” Siddaramaiah asserted Monday.
From the BJP, the counter also came from former CM B.S. Yediyurappa’s elder son B.Y. Raghavendra who is also the BJP MP from Shivamogga. Raghavendra said he invited Siddaramaiah for the inauguration of Sigandur bridge on 9 July.
ಈ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳಾದ ಸನ್ಮಾನ್ಯ ಶ್ರೀ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಮುಂಚಿತವಾಗಿ ಅಂದರೆ ಇದೇ ತಿಂಗಳ ಜುಲೈ 09 ರಂದು ಅಂಬಾರಗೋಡ್ಲು – ಕಳಸವಳ್ಳಿ – ಸಿಗಂದೂರು ಸೇತುವೆ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನೆಗೆ ನಾನು ಗೌರವಯುತವಾಗಿ ಆಹ್ವಾನ ನೀಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಆದರು ಹಿರಿಯರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ ಅವರು ಆಹ್ವಾನ ತಲುಪಿರುವುದು ತಡವಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕವಾಗಿ… pic.twitter.com/UaLjJWUWHL
— B Y Raghavendra (@BYRBJP) July 14, 2025
“It is acceptable to engage in mutual politics on various issues. However, making political remarks about the invitation letter reaching in advance, especially concerning a developmental matter, I consider it an insult to the people of the Sharavathi backwater region. I urge you to immediately retract your statement before the people of the state and make an effort to clarify the truth,” he wrote on X.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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