Karnataka govt. denies protocol lapse during German Chancellor’s Bengaluru visit

Karnataka government has refuted allegations made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that there was a protocol lapse during the recent visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Bengaluru. All established diplomatic procedures were duly followed, said Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR).

The BJP had criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for not being present to receive the German Chancellor, alleging that they skipped the engagement to attend a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mysuru.

In an official clarification, M.A. Manusur, Under Secretary to government, DPAR, State Etiquette- Foreign Affairs Cell, stated that the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Shalini Rajneesh, had formally communicated with the Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, accepting the proposal for a government-level interaction with the German Chancellor and suggesting January 12 as the date for the meeting.

However, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, in a letter dated January 8, informed the State government that due to the Chancellor’s tight schedule in Bengaluru, it would not be possible for him to meet the Chief Minister personally. The embassy further noted that the Chancellor was also not meeting the State government leadership in Gujarat, and that meeting only the Chief Minister of Karnataka could be perceived as an imbalance.

Additionally, the Ministry of External Affairs, in an email dated January 8, 2026, advised the Government of Karnataka that the visiting dignitary could be formally received and seen off by a Minister (Protocol) nominated by the Chief Minister. Following this, Mr. Siddaramaiah had nominated M.B. Patil, Minister for Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development.

All actions had been taken in accordance with diplomatic norms and directions from the Ministry of External Affairs, asserted a clarification from the DPAR.