Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Madhu Bangarappa responded to BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra’s remarks about his hairstyle, questioning why similar comments were not made about former President Abdul Kalam’s hairstyle or Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s COVID-19 beard growth.
Mr. Bangarappa criticized Mr. Vijayendra for focusing on personal issues rather than substantive matters. He referenced BJP’s decline in seats during the last Assembly elections after comments made about Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Following Mr. Vijayendra’s comments on his hairstyle, Mr. Bangarappa predicted a drop in BJP’s Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka from 26 to 6.
In a lighter tone, Mr. Vijayendra mentioned that many students appreciated his hairstyle and questioned why they couldn’t have a similar style.
Mr. Bangarappa reflected on his hairstyle choices, noting that he never had short hair and recalling an incident where his late father, former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa, was upset when he cut his hair short. He emphasized that he values his father’s guidance over that of Mr. Vijayendra or the BJP’s factions.