India's Karnataka state chief Basavraj Bommai on Wednesday blasted Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah over the latter's controversial "puppy" remark made against him hours earlier.
Senior Congress politician and former state chief Siddaramaiah triggered a row after he likened Bommai to a "puppy" while addressing party workers in the Vijayanagara district.
"Basavaraj Bommai, you are like a puppy in front of Narendra Modi. You tremble before him," Siddaramaiah remarked.
Angered by Siddaramaiah's statement, the Karnataka state chief slammed him and even went on to call him a "wolf."
"Yes. I am a dog, a loyal one serving the people. I will not let any thief loot the people. I will neither be the wolf that eats up people just because I have power and opportunity. But there are many wolves in the garb of dogs and people recognize them," Bommai told reporters in the state capital Bengaluru.
"The dog is a faithful animal and it's doing its job faithfully. I have not divided society as Siddaramaiah did. We have given happiness and not the misfortune given by them. This kind of job is not done by us," Bommai added.
Even state Transport Minister and former BJP parliamentarian B. Sriramulu was scathing in his criticism of Siddaramaiah, saying that his comments reflected the Congress' culture of insulting leaders of the rival camp.
"Can you use such terms for a chief minister? I too can ask you if you are the cat, dog or cockroach at Sonia Gandhi's house," Sriramulu stated, while taking a jibe at Siddaramaiah for his proximity to Congress' powerful Gandhi family.
The recent political bickering between the BJP and Congress in Karnataka comes months ahead of the state assembly polls, to be held around April-May this year.
While the BJP is trying to retain power in the only South Indian state it currently rules, Congress is attempting to dislodge it from power there.