BJP slams Congress over Urdu ads for Karnataka health scheme

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress and opposition BJP traded barbs Wednesday over Urdu-language ads for the Karnataka government's new "Kusuma Sanjeevini" programme—prophylactic treatment for haemophilia patients and free ambulances—published in Urdu dailies.

BJP slammed the ads as "anti-Kannada" appeasement, posting on X: "For the sake of appeasement politics, the anti-Kannada, anti-State Congress government is even neglecting Kannada!" It questioned CM Siddaramaiah and DCM D K Shivakumar: "Is the administrative language of Karnataka Kannada or Urdu?"

The party targeted Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, whose wife Tabassum is Muslim: "Speak Urdu in your home if you wish, but remember that Kannada is the administrative language of Karnataka"

CM Siddaramaiah hit back in Mangaluru: "When giving advertisements, shouldn’t we give them to Urdu newspapers as well?"

Rao accused BJP of "intellectual bankruptcy" for confusing ads with invitations: "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."

He shared past BJP Urdu ads under Yediyurappa and Bommai, asking: "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"

In a conciliatory jab, Rao invited BJP home: "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."