‘Sting’ row: ‘Village idiot’ remark of Priyank adds fuel to battle of words with HDK

The ongoing altercation between Union Minister Priyank Kharge and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy intensified on Thursday, as the latter resorted to using the term "halli guggu" (village idiot) to describe the former. This led to widespread backlash, with the Janata Dal (Secular) launching a social media campaign in support of Mr. Kharge using the slogan "I too am Halli Guggu."

Earlier, Mr. Kumaraswamy had stated that the remark disrespected the farming community and rural residents. Mr. Kharge had previously questioned Mr. Kumaraswamy's intelligence, asking if he was a "village idiot" in response to doubts raised by the former over the "sting" investigation. Mr. Kharge's remark came after Mr. Kumaraswamy expressed concern over the live-streaming of a potentially sensitive investigation.

Responding to Kharge's comment, Mr. Kumaraswamy remarked that the words did not affect him, but that the Congress was insulting the farming community with such language. He also called on the Congress president to address his son's comments. BJP leaders rallied behind Mr. Kumaraswamy, with Assembly Leader R. Ashok reminding Kharge of a popular song from Dr. Raj Kumar's films that rebukes those attempting to look down on villagers.

Ashok remarked that if Dr. Raj Kumar were alive today, he would tell Kharge that villagers are the real strength of the nation. This latest escalation is part of a long-running political feud between the two leaders, sparked by disagreements over the investigation into alleged sting videos involving former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.