BJP rakes up Sonia Gandhi's Italian origin ahead of her Karnataka visit

Bengaluru: Ahead of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visit to poll-bound Karnataka which took place on Tuesday afternoon, the BJP raked up the issue of her Italian origin by referring to her maiden name Antonio Maino.

"Today, Ms. Antonio Maino is here in K'taka to save her last citadel from falling! Madam Maino, K'taka needs no lessons from the person who was solely responsible for wasting India's 10 precious years. And to Congress, need to remind you of your 'import' jibe?" Karnataka BJP said in a tweet.

The BJP was responding to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's recent remarks calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "north Indian imports".

Read: Speeches can’t fill empty stomachs, Sonia Gandhi slams PM Modi in K'taka​

"@BJP4Karnataka by waiting for North Indian imports like PM Modi, UPCM Adityanath is admitting they have no leaders in the state. They have reduced their CM face @BSYBJP to a dummy," Siddaramaiah had tweeted.

Hitting back, BJP had then said in a tweet, "Imports? How much low can you stoop Mr CM? Your attempt at North-South divide is disgusting."

It is not the first time that the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin has been raked up during the Karnataka polls.

At an election rally on May 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dared Rahul Gandhi to talk for 15 minutes about the achievements of the Karnataka government in any language, including his "mother's mother tongue".

Also Read: Speak without reading from paper for 15 minutes at least: PM dares Rahul in K'taka​

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responding to Rahul Gandhi's dare to allow him to speak for 15 minutes in parliament on various issues, including corruption, and that the prime minister will not be able to sit for 15 minutes.

"I dare the Congress president to speak in Hindi, English or the mother tongue of his mother to deliver a speech in Karnataka for 15 minutes, without reading out from a piece of paper, on the achievements of the party government, people of Karnataka will draw their own conclusion," he said.

Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi are currently campaigning in Karnataka.