Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday issued a clarification regarding the invitation extended to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the inauguration of the Sigandur Bridge and the foundation stone laying ceremony of various infrastructure projects in Sagara taluk, Shivamogga. He said that an official invitation was sent to the Karnataka Chief Minister on July 11. Additionally, considering possible scheduling challenges, a follow-up letter was also sent on July 12, requesting the Chief Minister's virtual presence at the event.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways inaugurated the "Sigandur Bridge", which is said to be India's second-longest cable-stayed bridge between Ambaragodlu-Kalasavalli in Sagara taluk. The bridge has been built at a cost of Rs 473 crore and is 2.44 km long, official sources said.
Official invitation was duly extended to CM
The Union Minister has also shared the photo of the invitation sent to the Chief Minister on his X handle.
In an X post, Gadkari said, "In a major step towards boosting regional connectivity, the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony for multiple key infrastructure projects is being held today in Shivamogga, Karnataka. An official invitation was duly extended to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri @siddaramaiah Ji, on 11th July 2025, inviting him to preside over the programme. In light of any possible scheduling challenges, a subsequent letter was sent on 12th July, requesting his virtual presence.
The Central Government continues to uphold established protocols and has consistently appreciated the contributions and cooperation of the Government of Karnataka and the Chief Minister. It remains committed to cooperative federalism and close coordination with all states."
I was not invited: Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed displeasure over not being consulted or officially informed about the Sigandur bridge inauguration and related events. He stated that despite his name appearing on the draft invitation card issued by the Union Ministry, he was not formally invited or taken into confidence regarding the programme.
"I was not invited. I telephoned Nitin Gadkari and spoke to him. He told me that he would postpone the event. Later, I also wrote a letter to him. But it seems BJP leaders here pressured him. Without informing me, they went ahead with the inauguration. I am not attending the event as I already had prior commitments in Indi. The inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremonies in Indi were scheduled a month ago.
As a mark of protest, no one from our government, including the PWD Minister, the District In-charge Minister, and the Sagar MLA is attending the program.
Shouldn’t they have invited me? Who started all these controversies? It was them. Shouldn’t they follow protocol? We are part of a federal system. Even when we contribute 75%, we still invite them.
For railway projects, we provide the land and as per protocol, they should have invited the PWD Minister, the District In-charge Minister, and the local MLA. But they didn't invite any of us. I myself called Gadkari after seeing the invitation."
DK Shivakumar on CM's absence
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar criticised the central government, stating that it should have informed the Chief Minister in advance regarding the matter. He emphasised that the state government should have been taken into confidence before any such step was taken.
"The MP had made a request, and even the CM had written a letter regarding this. For such events, the CM should be informed at least a month in advance. This was a major event; over Rs 2,000 crore has been spent by our Irrigation Department. It was necessary to attend it. Whether the CM’s absence was intentional, let’s talk politics later. Had we been informed earlier, we would have definitely participated in the program," Shivakumar said.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah had urged Gadkari to postpone the inauguration of Sigandur bridge and the foundation stone laying ceremony of infrastructure projects at Sagara taluk in Shivamogga on July 14, stating that he was not intimated in advance.
Citing his scheduled visit to Indi taluk in Vijayapura district, the CM in a letter to Gadkari said, it would have been more appropriate for MoRTH to have consulted with the state government before scheduling such a programme, and requested him to instruct the officials in this regard.
Also Read: Bengaluru's Outer Ring Road set for major upgrade as infra agency begins 22-km revamp project
Also Read: No vacancy for CM in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah says next polls will be fought under his leadership
