Happy to be called 'Siddaramulla Khan', says Siddaramaiah

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he is happy to be called 'Siddaramulla Khan', a name given to him by the BJP to paint him as "anti-Hindu" ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls.

"As chief minister, I have earned several names based on my service to people - Annaramaiah, Raitharamaiah, Kannada Ramaiah and Dalitaramaiah. If people call me 'Siddaramulla Khan' for the work I've done for the Muslim community, then I'm happy," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

Siddaramaiah said he comes from the same tradition of Shishunala Sharif, a social reformer born as Muslim who had Govind Bhat as his guru. "Similarly, we have in our tradition Sant Kabir who was born into a Muslim family and became the disciple of Sant Ramanand. Giving me a Muslim name is like rewarding me for my faith in secularism," the Congress leader said.

The former chief minister said he is opposed to both Hindu and Muslim commnalism. "I am not someone who'd indulge in communal politics like the BJP that has no sense of right or wrong in targetting Muslims outrightly," he said, adding that little was expected from the BJP that has "zero achievements and corruption".

Both BJP and Congress have been calling each other Muslim names. The BJP targeted Siddaramaiah for celebrating Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary, implementing the Shaadi Bhagya scheme, withdrawing cases against PFI workers and his pro-Hijab stand.

The Congress dubbed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai as 'Bommaiulla Khan' with a picture showing him wearing the Muslim skullcap. The party similar photos of BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari (Mohammed Gadkari), Jagadish Shettar (Jabbar Khan) and R Ashoka (Ashwaq Inayat Khan).

Ibrahim slams BJP, Cong

Meanwhile, JD(S) state president CM Ibrahim slammed both BJP and Congress for hurling Muslim names at each other. "The two national parties think they can treat Muslims despicably. The intention of both parties is the same: to promote enmity," Ibrahim said.

"The BJP and Congress are acting as if people with [Muslim] names are not human," Ibrahim frowned. "While the BJP always targets Muslims, even the Congress using names like Khan, Ulla and Shaikh mockingly is shameful. Both parties are two sides of the same coin," he said.