Karnataka CM Slams Centre for Protocol Breach at Shivamogga Bridge Event!
Siddaramaiah accuses the Centre of ignoring Karnataka's government in a controversial bridge inauguration.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the Central government of a serious breach of protocol during the inauguration of the Sigandur bridge in Shivamogga, led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah claimed the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways organized the event without consulting the state government, even printing his name on invitations without prior notice.
The Chief Minister boycotted the event, along with his cabinet, citing the Centre’s “arbitrary” actions and disregard for cooperative federalism. Siddaramaiah revealed he had personally urged Gadkari on July 11 to postpone the event due to a prior commitment in Indi taluk, Vijayanagara district. Despite Gadkari’s initial agreement to delay, the event proceeded on July 14, dedicating nine National Highway projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore.
Further fueling the controversy, Siddaramaiah pointed out that the Sigandur bridge project, originally proposed by Karnataka in 2013, remains incomplete per technical reports, making the inauguration premature. He also criticized the ministry for listing former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s name above Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Assembly Speaker UT Khader Fareed, and State Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on the event’s materials, violating protocol.
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“The Government of Karnataka strongly protests this non-cooperative action,” Siddaramaiah wrote, urging Modi to ensure Central Ministries avoid such “discordant acts” in the future. The Sigandur bridge, India’s second-longest cable-stayed bridge, spans the Sharavathi backwaters, connecting Ambargodu and Kalasavali on NH 369E.
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