Priyank Kharge, Srinivas Poojari spar on Twitter

BENGALURU: Minister for Social Welfare Priyank Kharge and leader of opposition in the Legislative Council Srinivas Poojari are tearing into each other in full public view. What started off as a tweet by Poojari has blown into a full-fledged sparring with Kharge tagging the BJP leader in various tweets demanding action from him and his party.

Poojari, BJP’s MLC from Udupi had on Friday tweeted a video of his visit to a government hostel exposing the conditions in which children were forced to live. The tweet started a bitter Twitter battle after followers of Poojari trolled the Social Welfare Minister. Since Poojari’s tweet demanding action or resignation on Friday, Kharge has tweeted four times tagging Poojari and mocking other BJP leaders.

“Dear Social Welfare minister, Priyank Kharge, take a look at this video. Why do we need a minister for this? Set things right in hostels meant for poor children immediately else resign,” Poojari had tweeted on Friday along with a video of his visit to a hostel in Gadag exposing pitiable conditions.

While Kharge replied to the tweet that he was making an honest attempt to improve 3,000-plus hostels under his department, he also sought to know what Poojari, as an elected representative, had done for the SC/ST community. “Do tell how much money from your legislators’ fund have you give for SC/ST hostels. If you really care about the welfare of SC/STs then demand resignation from PM Modi,” Kharge tweeted in response.

Following the Twitter spat, more tweets challenging BJP legislators and MPs to question the Union government were put up by Kharge. “As a legislator, he also has responsibilities to fulfill. Our government has been in power for barely two months and I am doing everything to set things right,” Kharge told The New indian Express. Tweets of both the leaders have been liked and retweeted multiple times with replies ranging from mockery to staunch support. Quoting a TNIE report, Priyank Kharge tweeted, “@AnanthKumar_BJP @DVSBJP @nsitharaman shifting Aero India to UP doesn’t make sense. Kindly do the needful or else @KotasBJP has a solution for it.”