Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that the JD(S) leader was “unpatriotic”.

“PM Modi says I’m not patriotic. I don’t need to learn patriotism from Modi,” Kumaraswamy said.

Citing the relative calm in Jammu-Kashmir during the tenure of his father HD Deve Gowda as PM, Kumaraswamy said, “When Deve Gowda was PM there wasn’t a single blast in Kashmir. That’s our heritage. So don’t brand me, you have no right.”

Deve Gowda was Prime Minister for less than a year from 1 June 1996 to 21 April 1997.

In previous rallies in Karnataka, the PM had slammed the Congress-JD(S) alliance for playing “dynastic” politics. He had also criticised Kumaraswamy for reportedly saying those who don’t get a square meal join the army and become jawans.

“The CM of Karnataka said that those who can’t get two meals a day join the Army. Is this not an insult of our jawans? Those who insult the country’s army should be ashamed of themselves,” the PM said at an election rally in Gangavathi.

Defending himself, the CM had then alleged that the BJP had edited a video “with false interpretation to malign” him.

On 18 April, the CM had lashed out at PM Modi in a series of tweets accusing him of playing with emotions of people in the name of religion and terrorism.

“PMModi alleged opposition parties use emotions 4 votes.But it is Mr.Modi himself who is playing with the emotions of people inthe name of religion& terrorism.Had he been confident of his devlpmnt work to bring in votes Y would he resort to propaganda movie&TV channel in his name?” he said.

PMModi alleged opposition parties use emotions 4 votes.But it is Mr.Modi himself who is playing with the emotions of people inthe name of religion& terrorism.Had he been confident of his devlpmnt work to bring in votes Y would he resort to propaganda movie&TV channel in his name?

— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 18, 2019

Kumaraswamy also slammed the PM over the issue of unemployment. The Chief Minister also sought to know whether the prime minister could eliminate black money by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

“Dear PM you claim to have given a good governance. Was it good that unemplymnt in India touched to a 45-year high? Was it good that poor,lower middleclass people suffered to make both ends meet due to cash crunch during demonetization?Did it eliminate #blackmoney as you promised?” he posted in a second tweet.

Was it good to see farmers march against Union Government as their problems were not addressed?
Was it good to make labourers wait for wages under MGNREGA for months together? In our own state, RS. 1500 crore funds are pending.

— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 18, 2019

Kumaraswamy also alleged that the labourers had to wait for wages under the rural employment guarantee scheme for months together.

In Karnataka alone, the chief minister said Rs 1,500 crore of funds were pending.

On the other hand, Kumaraswamy also said that BJP leader Jagadish Shettar’s reported remark that Deve Gowda wants to bring his wife into politics has “pained” him.

“Jagadish Shettar has said something which has pained me. She (Kumaraswamy’s mother) isn’t political. But she has worked for poor people in her 80 year life with no political ambition,” the Karnataka CM said.