On Kumaraswamy Losing Cool, BJP's Prahlad Joshi Says Karnataka CM Has 'Lost His Mental Balance'

Prahlad Joshi, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, on Thursday lashed out at Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, saying he had "lost his mental balance", a day after the workers of Yermarus Thermal Power blocked his convoy to submit a list of their grievances.

Joshi said the people of Karnataka hadn't voted for Kumaraswamy to be the chief minister.

"He is holding the position with an unhealthy alliance with Congress. Now, he has lost his mental balance particularly after his son's defeat in the recent polls," Karnataka MP told ANI.

On Wednesday, Kumaraswamy shouted at workers and said: "You voted for Narendra Modi and want me to get your works done! You want me to give you respect. Should I baton-charge to you? Leave the place," he told the YTPS employees, leaving onlookers shocked."

Joshi had put out a tweet after the incident which said, "This is how our CM @hd_kumaraswamy reacted when asked for basic amenities. Is he CM for the entire state or only for JD(S) voters?"

Joshi's comment on Kumaraswamy comes amid political differences between coalition partners Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress. However, the two parties have repeatedly said there is no threat to the coalition, and the government will last the entire five-year term.

Joshi also spoke about Opposition's claims of tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

"There are many leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who had to face defeats in various polls in the past. However, we have examined the reasons and moved past it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has explained everything regarding EVMs in the Rajya Sabha for the people," he said.

"Instead of blaming EVMs for their debacle, the opposition should focus on the reasons why they had to face such a defeat. Blaming EVMs will not help them anyway," he added.

Various opposition parties have alleged that EVMs were manipulated during the recently held Lok Sabha elections and demanded the country should return to ballot papers.

The BJP swept Karnataka, winning 25 out of 28 seats in the state.

(With inputs from ANI)