Shivamogga/Bengaluru, Jul 14 (PTI) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday inaugurated India’s second-longest cable-stayed Sigandur bridge in Shivamogga. The event was boycotted by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleagues, who claimed that they were not consulted.
Earlier in the day, the CM said they had not been invited, a claim which drew a rebuttal from Union Minister Gadkari.
In a post on ‘X’, Gadkari said an official invitation was duly extended to Siddaramaiah on July 11, inviting him to preside over the programme. In light of any possible scheduling challenges, a subsequent letter was sent on July 12, requesting his virtual presence.
He also posted both the letters addressed to the CM on ‘X’.
Responding to Gadkari’s post, Siddaramaiah said, neither he nor his office was consulted before the Ministry for Road Transport and Highways finalized the programme and publicly circulated the invitation with his name printed on it.
“In fact, the official invitation was received only on 11th July 2025, merely three days prior to the event. On the same day, my office responded, informing you (Gadkari) of my prior commitment to a state-level inauguration of irrigation and development projects at Indi, Vijayapura, and requested that the event be rescheduled,” he said.
A communication sent just three days in advance, after public invitations have been issued, cannot be construed as due consultation or coordination, the CM said. True cooperative federalism demands meaningful engagement with state governments before finalising public programmes of such importance.
” I remain committed to partnering with the Union Government in the service of Karnataka’s people. I sincerely hope that future engagements will reflect proper consultation, coordination, and mutual respect between the Centre and the States,” he added.
However, earlier in the day, the CM asserted that none from his government will participate in the event as a mark of protest, claiming that he was not invited for the event.
“I was not invited. I spoke to Nitin Gadkari over the phone and he said he would postpone the event. Then I wrote a letter to him. Probably BJP leaders here have put pressure, and without telling me anything, they are doing it (inaugural). I’m not going. I have a pre-scheduled event at Indi,” he said in Bengaluru.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “As a mark of protest, none of us are going, neither I nor PWD Minister nor district in-charge Minister or Sagara MLA.” Asked wouldn’t it lead to friction between Centre and State, the CM said, “They (Centre) should invite, right? Who has started the friction? They have started the friction. The protocol has to be followed. The event is being held in our state, we are in a federal system.” Refuting Siddaramaiah’s claims, Gadkari in his post also said that 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.
“It remains committed to cooperative federalism and close coordination with all states,” he added.
The event was attended by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra, among others.
Countering Siddaramaiah, Raghavendra said, on July 9 itself, he had respectfully invited the Chief Minister for the inauguration. He asked how reasonable is it for the CM to publicly say that the invitation reached him late? “This bridge, built over the Sharavathi river, is the result of six decades of struggle and the sweat of thousands of people. Not only that, it is also a reflection of the feelings of thousands of people. I request you not to hurt their feelings,” he said.
Calling it an “insult” to the people of Sharavathi backwaters region to politicise the development even after receiving the invitation in advance, the MP urged CM to immediately withdraw his statement before the people of the state and tell the truth.
According to officials, a 6.18 km long bridge constructed across the Sharavathi backwaters between Ambaragodlu-Kalasavalli in Sagara taluk has been built at a cost of Rs 472 crore.
This bridge is expected to significantly reduce the distance from Sagara to the villages around Sigandur, a place which is known for the Chowdeshwari temple.
At the event, Gadkari said in response to public demand, the bridge will named after goddess Sigandur Chowdeshwari Devi The CM’s office on Sunday evening had shared a letter by Siddaramaiah to Gadkari dated July 11, urging him to postpone the event, stating that he was not informed in advance.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala accused BJP and Modi government of having become “habitual offenders” in insulting Kannadigas and treating the State as a “tax collecting machine”.
“This is not an affront to the Chief Minister but seven crore Kannadigas. It demonstrates contempt and disrespect to the entire State,” he said. PTI AMP/KSU ROH
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