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A fresh spat between the Centre and the Karnataka government has erupted over the inauguration of the Kalasavalli–Ambargondlu (Sigandur) Bridge, India's second-longest cable-stayed bridge, in Shivamogga district. The row centers around allegations of protocol violations and lack of coordination in the planning of the high-profile event.
Your response on the Shivamogga event is noted. However, I wish to place on record that neither I nor my office was consulted before your Ministry finalized the programme and publicly circulated the invitation with my name printed on it.
In fact, the official invitation was… https://t.co/NSVo5hFCd3
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah)
Your response on the Shivamogga event is noted. However, I wish to place on record that neither I nor my office was consulted before your Ministry finalized the programme and publicly circulated the invitation with my name printed on it.
In fact, the official invitation was… https://t.co/NSVo5hFCd3— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 14, 2025
">July 14, 2025
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in a statement on Sunday, clarified that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was formally invited on July 11, 2025, with a follow-up request on July 12 for virtual participation, acknowledging potential scheduling issues. Gadkari emphasized that due protocol was followed and reiterated the Centre’s commitment to cooperative federalism and coordination with all states.
In a sharp response, CM Siddaramaiah accused the Centre of finalizing and publicizing the event without prior consultation. He stated that his office only received the invitation three days prior to the event and had already communicated a scheduling conflict due to prior commitments in Vijayapura district. He described the move as tokenism, stressing that true cooperative federalism requires genuine prior engagement.
The event, meant to mark a major milestone in regional infrastructure development, has now become a flashpoint over federal relations and political optics in Karnataka, underscoring the continuing friction between the state and the Centre.
