"My Fitness Is Karnataka's Fitness," Says HD Kumaraswamy On PM's Challenge

Bengaluru: Invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up a #FitnessChallenge, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy responded with, what many thought, a snub. "Our government is not individually bothered about fitness issues," he said.

PM Modi, who had been tagged by cricket skipper Virat Kohli, had this morning tweeted his workout video and passed on the #FitnessChallenge to Mr Kumaraswamy and two others.

Mr Kumaraswamy's reply came soon after. "Yoga and treadmill are part of my daily workout regime," he said, asserting that he was "more concerned about the development fitness of my state".
 

Dear @narendramodi ji
I am honoured& thankU very much for d concern about my health
I believe physical fitness is imptnt for all&support d cause. Yoga-treadmill r part of my daily workout regime.
Yet, I am more concerned about devlpment fitness of my state&seek ur support for it.

- CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) June 13, 2018

In the evening, he said: "PM advised everybody to be fit in their work, for that I welcome it. In my personal view our government isn't individually bothered about fitness issue. My fitness is Karnataka's fitness. People have to be fit in every work, that's my top priority."

Mr Kumaraswamy was sworn in as Chief Minister on May 23, after PM Modi's BJP, which failed to win an outright majority, couldn't get the numbers to pass a floor test.

For days after being sworn in along with a deputy, G Parameswara of the Congress, the Chief Minister didn't have a cabinet because of a fierce tussle within the Congress for meaty portfolios.

Earlier this month, after Mr Kumaraswamy met with the Prime Minister, he told reporters that PM Modi gave him advice based on his experience. The advice was reportedly to assign portfolios at the soonest and not take any burden.

The #FitnessChallenge was started by Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on May 22. He threw a challenge at Virat Kohli, who in turn tagged PM Modi.