Karnataka BJP leaders flayed Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's remark that he was at the "mercy" of Congress and not the people of the state, saying that he was "deriding his own people" and doubted his credentials to serve them.

Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda took to twitter asking Kumaraswamy if he would compromise the interests of Kannadigas just to retain power. "Sri @hd_kumaraswamy Honble @CMofKarnataka says he is indebted to @INCIndia not to 6.0 crore Kannadigas.

Sir I would like to ask u 1) will u compromise the interest of Kannadigas just to retain your power 2) Whats your local standee for corrupt congress is it partnership enterprise (sic)," he tweeted.

The party said that Kumaraswamy should not have "stooped" so low. "This statement of H D Kumaraswamy proves that he cares two hoots to six crore people of Karnataka. A democratically elected CM could not have stooped much lower than this in deriding his own people. "One can only imagine the kind of loot he will preside to impress his Congress bosses," the BJP in Karnataka tweeted.

 BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya termed the chief minister's remarks as "the most brazen admission ever" and expressed apprehensions that Karnataka "will bleed" under the present state government "while JDS-Congress fill up their coffers".

"I dread to think what will happen to the state when the Chief Minister doesn't feel compelled to serve the people, but the party that put him in power. Karnataka will bleed while JDS-Congress fill up their coffers," he said.

Kumaraswamy had yesterday stated he was at the 'mercy' of the Congress, not the 6.5 crore people of the state. "Mine is not an independent government. I had requested the people to give me a mandate that prevents me from succumbing to any pressure other than you. But today I am at the mercy of the Congress.

I am not under the pressure of the 6.5 crore people of the state," he had said. BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar said it is the "worst kind" of Congress politics with willing and shameless regional parties. "Victory of Democracy" this gang called it - lets call it what it is - worst kind of #CongressPolitics with willing n shameless "regional" parties," he tweeted, tagging it to Kumaraswamy, AICC President Rahul Gandhi, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's twitter accounts. "And the new @CMofKarnataka @hd_kumaraswamy reveals whose mandate he has - he represents not the people's mandate but the rejected @INCKarnataka mandate!" he tweeted.