A tweet by Telangana IT and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao inviting a company to move from Bengaluru to Hyderabad has drawn different responses from the BJP and Congress.
On March 30, Ravish Naresh, CEO of Khattabook, complained on Twitter that startups in the HSR/Koramangala areas of Bengaluru were struggling due to bad roads, power cuts and poor-quality water supply. Rama Rao responded to his tweet the next day. He wrote, “Pack your bags & move to Hyderabad! We have better physical infrastructure & equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is 1 of the best & getting in & out of city is a breeze. More importantly our Govt’s focus is on 3 i Mantra; innovation, infrastructure & inclusive growth.”
The references to social infrastructure and inclusive growth attracted attention given ongoing controversies in Karnataka over wearing of hijab in educational institutions and opposition to sale of halal meat.
On Monday morning, Karnataka Congress unit chief D.K. Shivakumar tweeted he accepted the “challenge” of Rama Rao, referring to the TRS leader as “my friend”. Shivakumar vowed “By the end of 2023, with Congress back in power in Karnataka, we will restore the glory of Bengaluru as India’s best city.”
Rama Rao responded to Shivakumar by calling for a focus on infrastructure and IT and not halal and hijab. Rama Rao wrote “Dear @DKShivakumar Anna, I don’t know much about politics of Karnataka & who will win but challenge accepted👍 Let Hyderabad & Bengaluru compete healthily on creating jobs for our youngsters & prosperity for our great nation Let’s focus on infra, IT&BT, not on Halal & Hijab.”
C.N. Ashwathnarayan—Karnataka's Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology—was not impressed by K.T. Rama Rao's March 31 tweet or Shivakumar's response to it. Ashwathnarayan was quoted by ANI as saying “[Rama Rao's] Tweet wasn't in good taste. Being in responsible position, it shouldn't be the attitude. Trying to pull legs of each other doesn't go good for any government. We're Indians, need to compete with entire world”. He described the tweet as “condemnable”.
Ashwathnarayan lampooned Shivakumar's confidence. He said “He [Shivakumar] is dreaming. Congress is never going to come to power. What kind of credibility does he have? They never delivered when in power. He doesn't know what's deliverance. They can't give any better future.”
H.D. Kumaraswamy, a former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) leader, also responded to the issue. He was quoted by ANI as saying “People aren't bothered about halal or jhatka meat. These issues are created unnecessarily. If such communal clashes will start, then it will affect industries. That's why corporate companies are also worried about their future in the state.”
