- By Nidhi Giri
- Tue, 30 Dec 2025 02:16 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has sparked a political controversy with his remarks suggesting that the state "doesn’t want Keralites", drawing sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The saffron party seized on the comments to attack the Congress leadership in Kerala. The controversy began when DK Shivakumar responded to a reporter's question about Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's criticism of the Kogilu demolition drive in Bengaluru. Vijayan had alleged that Muslims were being targeted in the action and compared it to “bulldozer raj" North India.
Shivakumar said, “We don’t want any Keralites. Our Chief Minister is there, let him do his job."
BJP Targets Congress
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called Shivakumar’s comment an "anti-Kerala" statement. He asked if Kerala’s Congress leadership accepted such views.
“The battle between the Left and Congress has now escalated to such levels that DK Shivakumar is openly making anti-Kerala, anti-Malayali statements. He has said that we don’t need Keralites. Does the Kerala Congress agree with this statement? What about people from the Congress party who are not from Kerala, but contest in Kerala? Does Priyanka Vadra agree with this statement? This is the ‘tukde-tukde’ mindset of Congress… The main issue is that the Congress itself is using the bulldozer in Karnataka… But when the bulldozer is used in UP, they cry about it, because in UP it is used against the mafia…” Poonawala said in a post on X.
“INC no longer means Indian National Congress but Islamabad National Congress. That is why they can’t even get the national anthem right on its foundation day. This is a party that says we have to fight against the Indian state, which doubts the Army, attacks Constitutional institutions, and opposes Vande Mataram… When you have more faith in Italy and Rome, and not in India, then you are bound to make such mistakes,” he added.
Former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar called out Congress’ divisive politics that was based on geography, caste, religion and language. Chandrasekhar took the attack a step further and questioned whether people should also say they do not want “Italians and half Italians" interfering in Kerala and India, reported News18