Modi makes irresponsible statements, unfit to be PM: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'politically motivated and irresponsible statements' make him unfit to continue in the office. 

"PM Modi is not speaking like a Prime Minister. There are so many issues concerning the state and the country but he has not opened his mouth. He is making politically motivated and irresponsible statements," Siddaramaiah said. 

"He is unfit to continue as Prime Minister," the Karnataka Chief Minister said. 

His attack on the Prime Minister came a day after Modi attacked Siddaramaiah government over allegations of corruption, saying new scams and charges of graft were surfacing "every day" under its watch.

Addressing a BJP rally in Mysuru, Modi said after he levelled the "10% commission" charge against the Siddaramaiah dispensation recently, he received many calls, with people disputing his information about the cut it received, and claiming it was much more.

PM Modi is not speaking like a prime minister. There are are so many issues concerning the state and the country but he has not opened his mouth. He is making politically motivated and irresponsible statements. He is unfit to continue as PM: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/KGlIwDBxnf

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018

"I can understand the anger of the people of Karnataka," he said, and asked the gathering whether the state wanted a "commission or a mission government." Karnataka, he insisted, wanted a "mission government" and not a "commission government." 

At a public rally in Karnataka on February 4, Modi had accused it of setting new records in corruption and said the countdown for its exit had begun.

"The Congress government is at the exit gate," Modi had said, while dubbing the Siddaramaiah dispensation a "10% commission government." 

In his second rally this month in poll-bound Karnataka, Modi said the Congress, wherever it was in power, it was acting like "bumps" in the path of speedy progress. He said the party only cared for power and not the aspirations of people.

While the schedule for the 224-member state assembly poll is yet to be announced, campaign for the high voltage election has already begun with leaders of both the Congress and BJP exchanging barbs at each other.

While Siddaramaiah is looking for another term as the Chief Minister of the Southern state, BJP has declared BS Yeddyurappa as its chief ministerial candidate. 

Karnataka is expected to witness a triangular contest with the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) being the third dominant player.

(With PTI inputs)