The run-up to elections often trigger vitriolic political exchanges, and the latest one in the State is over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah using the slang “not having meter” (lacking courage), common in the world of crime, to ridicule Bharatiya Janata Party State president B.S. Yeddyurappa.
While participating in a door-to-door campaign by the Congress to reach out to people in Bengaluru on Saturday, Mr. Siddaramaiah used the slang “lacked meter” to hit out at Mr. Yeddyurappa and alleged that the BJP Chief Ministerial candidate lacked the courage to convince Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive farm loans from nationalised banks.
Taking serious exception to this, the BJP leaders launched a counter attack and maintained that it was unbecoming of a Chief Minister to use such a crime world slang.
“Meter is a slang used by the goonda world. You are setting a bad precedence and will become a bad example if you start using such underworld lingo,” said BJP spokesperson S. Suresh Kumar.
Mr. Kumar wondered if he really had the “meter” to get a quick appointment from the AICC president or vice-president. His inability to get an appointment with the party top bosses was the reason for the inordinate delay in ministerial expansion,” the BJP leader alleged.
Mr. Kumar also maintained that Mr. Yeddyurappa had proved that he has the “meter” by taking up various struggles single-handedly during his political career even when the party did not have a strong base.
Meanwhile, BJP senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa stepped up the attack on the Chief Minister by seeking a public apology for using the slang.
Maintaining that Mr. Siddaramaiah had denigrated the position of Chief Minister by using the slang, Mr. Eshwarappa accused him of speaking in an irresponsible manner and said Mr. Siddaramaiah was speaking like a “Dasaiah (a religious person seeking alms) wandering on the streets”.
However, the controversy refused to die down as Mr. Siddaramaiah taunted the BJP leaders by remarking. in a lighter vein, on Sunday: “Yes, we are all Dasaiahs as we beg for votes on streets.”