Political Storm Brews Over German Chancellor's Uninvited Visit to Karnataka

Karnataka Minister M B Patil defended Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar over their absence during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's unofficial visit to Bengaluru. The opposition BJP criticized the absence as prioritizing political duties over international relations, but Patil maintained it was a private visit without state-level engagements.

Karnataka Minister M B Patil has defended the conduct of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar concerning their absence during the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Patil asserted that the Chancellor's visit was purely private and pre-scheduled, thus not warranting any formal reception by the state officials.

The BJP has criticized the leaders, alleging neglect of international protocols to prioritize political engagements with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Nevertheless, Patil dismissed these claims as a trivialization of the Chancellor's visit, emphasizing the lack of any scheduled government discussions with Merz during his two-day tour.

Home Minister G Parameshwara pointed out that no state-level invitations were extended for the Chancellor's events. He expressed the need for better coordination between the state and central government during such diplomatic visits, emphasizing the important federal role of states in hosting foreign dignitaries.

(With inputs from agencies.)